


One More Night

by dizzy, virkatjol



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M, stuck fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-29
Updated: 2012-11-29
Packaged: 2017-11-19 21:20:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 61,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/577788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dizzy/pseuds/dizzy, https://archiveofourown.org/users/virkatjol/pseuds/virkatjol
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cam and Vala get kidnapped and when they finally escape they have little time to find refuge. But will they be able to find their way home or be stuck on a new place, with new people and have to make a whole new life for themselves?</p>
            </blockquote>





	One More Night

**Author's Note:**

> Art available here: http://twisted-slinky.livejournal.com/59649.html

It happens like this: 

They're on a planet, running for their lives, like they've done so many times before. The gate is looming in front of them, guarded - but there like a beacon. They know where they're going. Cam's legs burn with how long and hard they're running but adrenaline covers everything. He sees Daniel and Sam in front of him, hears the whoosh of Teal'c's staff blasts behind him. Vala's right by his side, hair flying behind her. She's dripping blood from a graze along her temple but hasn't even noticed it yet. 

A group comes at them from the side, out of nowhere, it seems like. Sam and Daniel are at the gate but Cam, Vala, and Teal'c are cut off by half a dozen angry men. 

"Get out of here," Cam bellows at his team, frustrated that they won't get themselves to safety even though if the situation were reversed he knows he'd do exactly what they're doing, stay and try to fight. 

Figures crumple into the ground and Teal'c breaks the barrier with ruthless efficiency, bodies littering the ground. He turns to clear the way for Cam and Vala, except-

They're already being dragged away. Vala kicks and screams and claws and bites but three men easily twice her size is just too much. Cam frantically tries to think if he could throw the four men with bruising grasps on him, but even if he could he isn't sure he could get Vala, too. 

In the background he hears the sound of the gate and he knows the other three retreated. It's good, they'll regroup and come back. Cam shoves down the terror he feels and tries to catch Vala's eye. She's already there though - she just nods back at him and then... she winks and whips her head around to bite down on the arm of one man who'd let himself get a little too close. 

They're chained and held for almost a day. Their packs are taken but they aren't searched. They hover as close as the chains will allow and split a power bar from Cam's pocket. Vala won't stop insulting the men as they walk by no matter how much Cam tells her that really isn't a good idea. They take turns trying to sleep so they have some energy. They bicker, distract each other, try to come up with some sort of a plan and in the backs of their minds secretly send out thankful prayers for the fact that they aren't alone. 

They start to realize this might not be as easy as SG-1 busting in to rescue them when they get taken to the transport ship. They travel for almost a day, but they're unchained and left in the same room and sloppy bowls of food are given to them along with water. 

On the morning of the second day there are blasts. 

"We're under attack," Vala says, looking at Cam with wide eyes. They both see it as a chance for freedom, maybe even to take over an escape pod in all the confusion. They start to work on the door but it won't move. 

"Fuck," Cam curses. "Can't get a damn break." 

So they sit, and listen to the sounds of guns and running. They move closer together when the ship starts to jolt back and forth. Vala slips her hand into Cam's and he squeezes it reassuringly. In his mind, he's hit that point where he starts imagining someone delivering the news to his parents - 

The door opens. A man steps in, weapon at the ready, but one look at them and he lowers it slightly. He looks at their clasped hands and "Prisoners?" 

"Yes," Vala answers, a tremble in her voice that Cam knows is on purpose. 

"Come with me." 

The situation is explain to them while they walk: slave trade agreement with a broken contract. They're still prisoners, but these captors adhere to a gentler policy. They are given back their packs after they've been checked, allowed to clean and given a change of clothing. 

But they're still prisoners. 

The new group has taken over command of the ship and executed the original crew. That makes Cam's stomach turn; whatever brief hope he'd had flickers out. They're still prisoners. They're still being sold. 

They're allowed to room together still. Cam wants to keep Vala as close as possible, and sharing a room means they can plan. So they do - they plan, they take advantage of the appearance of freedom. The trip to the planet they're being deposited on will take approximately five cycles. They count the hours; a cycle is less than a day on earth, 18 hours by Cam's watch. 

There are other prisoners but they don't interact with them. Cam feels a tug to do the right thing but they aren't a group that can fight. They're beaten and worn down. Vala argues that they know who the people might have allegiances to. If it were Sam he were here with, or maybe even Daniel, Cam might have gotten caught up in the white knight syndrome but Vala's persuasive and she's confident that they can make an escape on their own. 

They're allowed guarded walks every day. Vala uses a mixture of feigned obliviousness and sexuality to drag details of the ships layout from some of the guards. They discover that there are rescue pods on the ship, and where they are. 

They're less than a cycle from the drop off point when they make a run for it. All they need is to find one planet with a gate and they're home. Vala rewires the door to open and they slip out during the middle of third shift, the shift where 2/3 of the crew is asleep. They've packed their bags with as much as they could salvage from the room they'd been given and food lifted from the meal tables. Weapons were harder to come by but they've each got a knife sharpened as best they could. Cam aches for the safety blanket that his military issue gun was, but he could still do some damage with this if he had to. 

He doesn't have to. They make it all the way to the transport bay without incident. Inside, they stare at each other, hardly able to believe this has gone so smoothly. 

"Are there controls in here to operate the door?" he asks. 

Vala's already exploring. She goes to the first pod. It's small - smaller than any of the SGC's ships. The are two seats at the front and a long bench along the back. Vala drops her bag on the floor and Cam does the same. She seems set on whatever she's doing so Cam doesn't bother to interrupt her again. He finds a control panel himself, studies the buttons but can't make sense of it. The longer they can go without alerting anyone to their presence the better. 

She slips up behind him, letting out a pleased murmur. "That one opens the door." 

"You know if they have a decent alarm system and weapons, we're dead," Cam says. 

"I'd rather be dead than a slave." Vala's voice is overly light, but he knows she means it. He nods; he would, too. 

They don't shy away from the risky decisions. 

"Do you think you can fly the pod?" Vala asks. "I can start the process to open the door but you'll need to have the transport ready to go." 

She gives him a crash course in how to operate it and they take one last sweep around the room to try and salvage other supplies, just in case it takes longer than they think to find a planet with a gate. 

The sound of the transport bay opening seems deafening. Cam starts up the pod and Vala scurries in, the door closing with a whoosh behind her. He starts to move them forward as soon as she's in and she takes over, deftly piloting them out while there's still barely a crack in the long bay door. 

She doesn't waste any time getting them going as fast as she can. Cam's heart is pounding and his palms are clammy where he keeps his hands clenched into fists. There's a small screen that shows their surroundings with a pad that lets him change the camera angle. He settles it on the prisoner ship and watches it fade into the distance.

They fly for what seems like forever. It's pleasant, peaceful, restful. They take turns flying and looking while the other makes the best of the bench and a couple blankets that they have. There's a sense of relief, a feeling that they almost didn't get out of there. 

Vala's spent all hours waking-that she's not piloting-making sure there aren't any kinds of trackers. No sensors or chips or the like that will cause them to be able to come after them. She smiles at Cam as she catches him watching her.

"What?" She's often caught him just looking at her lately.

"Nothing." He shakes his head. Not wanting to look at her, not that it's a chore, but he can't help himself. "I'm just really glad you're here." He shrugs and turns back to driving. "Doubt I'd have made it out of there on my own. You're the brains, I'm the bra... Nope, you're the braun, too. I'm the handsome guy that tags along and distracts them from suspecting that you're the real threat."

She doesn't say anything for a minute, just thinking to herself. She puts on a brave face but having another person to support her, well, it's good. She's glad for him, too. 

"Couldn't have gotten out without you either." She sees him nod and he looks back at her to give her a little, sad grin. "We'll get back to the SGC. Don't worry."

"I know. It's just the time period between now and the time we do that I'm worried about."

She lets out a laugh. It's been awhile since she's felt like laughing. "Lets find a place to park this thing then think about the next move."

Cam goes back to the readings and keeps trying to find some planet he recognizes as friendly.

The little pod doesn't exactly make good time. It also has a limited amount of data stored in its memory banks, as far as star charts and planets goes. Clearly no one meant for this to be used except in absolute emergencies. 

Vala figures out how to set autopilot and a constant scan of the areas around them. They pass by two planets without breathable air and one that's almost solid ice. On the third day they find an inhabitable planet but there are no life signs. They decide not to stop; the chances of finding a gate on a planet where they can't even stop to ask someone seems slim. 

By day five, they're both feeling claustrophobic. 

"I want a shower," Vala whines. He knows she's bored; she hadn't uttered a word about the conditions when they'd been prisoner, or on the ship - but she feels safe now, safe and... bored. 

He tries not to let it grate on his nerves. "Me too, princess." 

The pod has - as with everything else - limited facilities. The small bathroom is a doorway barely big enough for Cam to fit through. Water trickles out the drain and there must be some sort of filtration system but neither of them trusts it enough to use more than the bare minimum, and they need that for drinking. 

"Yes, you do." Vala sulks at him, sitting up. She reaches for her pack and pulls out something - a magazine. She'd finished reading it on their second day, so Cam knows by now she must have it just about memorized. "Why didn't we think to bring entertainment?" 

Her sigh is so genuine that Cam laughs. "Next time I decide to get stranded offworld, I promise I'll bring a book of crossword puzzles or something." 

"Those are boring, too." She stretches back out on the bench, and Cam turns in his seat to look at her. They're so close that if he stretched his feet out he could rest them on the bench where her legs are... so he does. She turns onto her side, wincing at how hard the bench is underneath her, and props her cheek on her palm, elbow supporting it. "You should have brought like... a television set! With lots of episodes of that show about housewives." 

"Good God, no." Cam winces. "That'd be torture. Star Wars, maybe. The whole set." 

Vala makes a face. "I don't understand how you can take so much enjoyment out of something so similar to what you actually do." 

"You can't tell me you didn't like Han Solo," Cam argues.

"Like him?" Vala makes a face. "He's all right, I suppose, but I could have done better." 

"I bet you-" 

A beep cuts them off. Cam swivels back around and Vala gets up, standing over him to look at his screen instead of taking her own seat. She puts her hands on his shoulders and peers at the red blinking signal on the screen. "Uh-oh." 

"What?" 

He looks up at her. "Red means..." 

"That's the fuel gauge." 

"Fuel? Shit, we're almost out of gas?" Cam's voice rises. "How?" 

"Well, see, we have been traveling..." Vala explains it as if he were a small child. "And when you travel in a fuel-based vehicle it uses the fuel." 

"Yes, I know that, Vala," he snaps back. "But we can't just pull over on the side of the road and hike back to the nearest station."

"We could go back to the planet..." She looks doubtful over the idea, and Cam feels about the same way. 

"That was over a day ago. Could we even make it there?" 

"I don't know," she admits. "Hold on, let me see if I can expand the range of the sensors. Maybe if I set them to just view any planet, not just an inhabitable one..." 

Cam steps back and lets Vala work her magic. It takes her almost an hour and quite a few insults slung at the transport but she manages to alter the programming enough to give them what they need; coordinates to a planet. 

"I can't tell if it's inhabited, but the air levels are breathable, so..." 

"So it looks like we're making a stop." Cam feels grim. There's a chance, always a chance that there will be people on the planet - or even a Stargate. But it's no guarantee.

There's a nervous energy now. Before there was a slight undertone, but now it's crackling through the little ship's atmosphere. 

"How much longer?" She fidgets on the bench, not wanting to look at the fuel gage or the scanner that shows them closing in on their targeted destination. 

Cam bops her leg with his toes before answering. Just a small, gentle touch to try to reassure even though he's not feeling very assured himself. "Thirty minutes. About." He shrugs. He's learned to interpret most of the symbols now but it's still sort of a guessing game. "You're charming. I'm handsome. who wouldn't want us to join their populace?"

It's just a mumbled reply that she knows he can't hear but Vala isn't feeling like herself and it's hard to be upbeat still. 

"Princess." He waits until she looks at him. "We've got each other. As long as we've got that, we're gonna be alright."

She gives him a tiny smile and sighs. "I'm hoping for friendly with a Stargate."

"I think this ship is by now, too. Probably sick of all our moaning."

"And our stench."

That makes Cam chortle loudly. "At least I can't really smell it any longer."

A wry grin is thrown his way. "I'm not as lucky."

The planet slowly comes into view. At some point they switch off the magnify screen and look at it in through just the sheet of glass separating them from space. 

"So what does this baby have in the realm of landing gear?" Cam asks. 

Vala looks skeptical. "I'm going to guess not a lot." 

"Guess? That's reassuring." 

"Well, it didn't come with a manual, so I can't be sure... I think maybe..." Her finger circles around, hovers back and forth between a few buttons. "This one, maybe. I've never actually had to land one of this design before. Crashed in one, perhaps - but the ones I stole always tended to get stolen by someone else." 

"Well, first time for everything," Cam says. 

The little ship shudders and shakes once they hit the planet's atmosphere. They both struggle to keep it steady and it smoothes out a little bit but by that point they're hurtling toward the ground fast enough that relief is nonexistent because they just still might die after all. 

"Any chance you can point us toward people?" Cam asks. 

Vala only hesitates for a moment. "Nope. If we're lucky I can make sure we end up on land and not water?" She lets out a nervous little laugh. 

"Uh. Crossing my fingers," Cam says. 

"Both hands." The worry is etched onto her face, features drawn tight. "Perhaps your toes, too." 

There's another shudder as she hits the button - which, by some small mercy of fate, does indeed seem to prepare them to land. Or at least meet the ground in a less fatal manner, because Cam's not sure he'd classify this as an actual official landing. It's more like a controlled crash, because the pod is still skating along. Cam takes over piloting, because this - this he's done before. He manages to twist them through a tight crop of trees and into a less densely crowded one. The pod crawls to a stop with one last jolt and then they can both breathe again.

They're still for a few minutes as they gather their wits. Cam's practical about everything, of course, gathering up what supplies they have left, packs, flashlights, anything that can be used as survival gear that's also transportable. Whereas Vala just wants to get off the ship.

She's pacing as he checks and double checks. "Can we go? We can always come back...."

"Maybe. But maybe not." He's never one to be labeled as overzealous. "Look, we might be captured again, or get lost in the woods. We don't know the daylight schedule of this planet. What if it gets dark and we can't get back here?"

"I don't think I'd mind sleep on the very soft ground very much." She gives the bench an evil glare. "Anything is more comfortable then this thing."

He knows how much she needs to get free of the confinement, but until he's satisfied that they're ready they aren't moving. 

Cam checks everything again and then nods at her. She practically bounces over to the panel and the door opens with a loud puff of atmosphere change and the scent of fresh, non-recycled through a device, air blasts their faces. It's a bit warm but not stifling. They cautiously step foot onto the planet and look around. 

"Looks like we didn't set off any alarms by barreling through..." Vala observes the forest surrounding them, free of any residents looking to see who just arrived.

Cam starts to lead them forward. "Probably a good thing, Princess."

Cam wishes they had a way to lock the pod, somehow - ensure that no one else could take off with it, just in case they do end up needing to make their way back... but the pod has no sort of locking mechanism and even if it did, they don't have a passcode or a key of any kind. 

"Could be worse," Cam says, trying to make the best of it. "It could be winter. I know how you hate the cold." 

Vala doesn't say anything, but he can see her nod a little. "On the other hand, it could be a lot better. Like we could have landed right in front of a Stargate with a working DHD and maybe even a little welcome party with refreshments." 

Cam laughs. "Okay, you got me, that would have been better." 

They walk for a little while more in silence. "We should find water. A river of some kind, maybe," Vala says. They'd filled their canteens from the small tap but with only two to fill it won't last them longer. "We can drink and then follow it. People never settle far away from water." 

"Unless they're advanced enough to have plumbing systems." 

"And if they are, we'll certainly see sighs of that." 

"True enough," Cam agrees. "So priority one - water." 

"Indeed," Vala says in a deep, Teal'c like voice. It's silly but they've hit that point - it's either be silly or own up to how impossible this situation is. 

"Hey," Cam says, realizing something. "You just want to find water so you can take a bath, don't you!"

"Maybe I just want to find water so YOU can take a bath." Vala's tongue pokes out toward him in jest. "Although, yes, I want one desperately."

They walk in silence for awhile, looking and listening for signs of running water. Cam finds them both walking sticks and she is having fun knocking rocks around the ground with hers.

"You ever have to do this?"

"What?" She looks confused. "Find my own way?"

"Yeah, just land somewhere unknown and have to scout it out." Cam pauses but continues before she can answer. "I've been trained for this sort of thing. Survival situations in less than ideal conditions. Just never actually had to test them more than a few hours ride from a city. Even then I knew I wouldn't really have to worry because the Air Force would have to come for me."

"When I was younger my parents taught me a lot about living off our planets land. We did a lot of growing but not long after I was old enough to really understand... Well, that's not important...." She doesn't really want to talk about her past. "The short answer is not really."

"You're pretty good at it all though. I mean you got us out. Stayed calm. Better than most anyone would do."

"Cameron Mitchell, I am a survivor. Not someone who panics." She puts a hand on his chest to stop him from walking and when he starts to agree, or she assumes that's what he was going to do, she shushes him. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear-"

"Shhhh." She points to the left.

He strains to listen and then he does hear. The faint sound of water running over rocks, crashing downstream. "Water!"

"Bingo." 

They both pick up the pace heading the direction of the sound of their salvation. Or so they hope.

The water isn't as close as it sounds. They walk another two hours, but by the time they near it the sound is deafening. It's not just a stream - it's a roaring river, raging too hard for them to even think of trying to cross. 

"We can just follow it for a while," Cam says. "Maybe it'll calm down." 

They have water filtration tablets in their packs, so they both fill their canteens and keep going. Cam isn't sure what they'll do when they run out, but he hopes that won't become a concern. They don't stop to eat, just split another energy bar as they walk. They're both driven, both motivated to keep going in hopes that following the water will lead them to some sort of civilization. 

After a while, the river does grow a little calmer but there are no signs of other people having been anywhere around. 

Night starts to fall barely five hours after they've found the river. They haven't spoken much lately, but they're in step beside each other, footfalls in sync. The only commentary that passes is about their surroundings; some sort of fish jumping out of the water in the river, 

"We could keep going," Vala suggests, but Cam can see the long trip catching up with her. Neither of them have slept very well cooped up in the pod and they've been taking in far fewer calories than they'd been used to before. 

He looks up, the sun starting to set. "Another hour, then we make camp."

*

The temperature drops when there's no sun left. They make camp just inside the tree line, close enough to hear the river but out of danger in case in starts to rise. 

They have one tent and two blankets. Vala's tent had been left back in the room on the prison transport, to make room for other supplies. Even if they'd had two Cam would have wanted her by his side. It's not a protective urge; her reflexes are faster and her hearing is better. 

It's not cold enough to need a fire, so Cam doesn't even broach it. They put the tent up and share a meal of fruit swiped from the ship.

Cam's stomach still pangs with hunger when they're done. "We need to get some real protein," he decides. "When the sun rises maybe we can try to catch something from the river." 

"Do you think you can?" There's teasing challenge in Vala's voice. 

Cam grins and picks up one of their sharpened knives. "I don't know. Maybe find a good stick and tie this on to the end of it, try to spear something." 

"Hmmm." Vala gives him a look that clearly implies she'll believe it when she sees it. 

"So you got any ideas? I know you're hungry, you can clear out a buffet once you get going." 

"Starving," Vala admits. "We could set some traps but we'd have to stay around longer to check them." 

"We'll try finishing in the morning, and if that's a bust we'll camp earlier tomorrow night. We have enough fruit left to last through tomorrow and we know what time the sun sets now. We can get some traps set before it goes dark and check them once it's light again." 

They've got power bars and then the even less tasty field rations to last a week between them if they only eat just enough to keep going. 

Vala curls up on the ground, her blanket over her and her jacket balled up under her. Cam catches her eye and smiles at her, wanting to give her some sense of comfort that he doesn't really have himself right now. It doesn't work, not really, but she smiles back because she feels the same way.

He stays up watching for a couple hours, Vala's light snoring at an even tempo making him even sleepier than he already is. Nothing happens, during this time besides thinking hard about their situation. He's glad for her. Happy she's finally getting rest, she's always less cranky when she's had a good sleep. He couldn't fall asleep at first. The new place, perhaps? The ache in his hip? Maybe a nervous excitement that flutters in his stomach. 

Eventually he lays back and props his head in his hand, elbow in the soft dirt. He looks at her. The way her mouth gapes just slightly, the gentle breeze teasing across her hair as the night air filters through the small gap in the tent. The moon is bright here and his eyes have adjusted well to the darkness so he can make out her form pretty well. She grunts a bit and flips over to her back, her hand flopping over her head. Her lips smack together and she resumes her steady snoring. 

Cam smiles at her and lets himself relax all the way, convinced that they aren't in danger. He needs his rest and doesn't see any reason for them not to both be fresh in the morning. It doesn't take long when he closes his eyes, his body is relieved that he's not on that hard bench any longer and falls into a dreamless sleep.

xxxx

Despite falling asleep after Vala, Cam wakes first. She's sprawled out inside the tent and it's so carefree and childlike he grins. He can't look long because his bladder is yelling at him that he needs to go use the makeshift facilities. He doesn't want to leave her to wake up alone so he leans over and places his palm on her shoulder, shakes a little and when she mumbles something to him he chuckles.

"Time to wake up, Princess." She shifts away from him and he gets insistent. "Come on, up and at 'em."

"It's too early." She grumbles as she sits up.

Cam unzips the tent. "We don't know what time it is." As he's stepping through he keeps talking. "Gotta go empty the fuel tank."

Her look makes him smile.

"I probably don't want to know what that means."

"Bathroom break." At her nod he heads over to go behind the trees. 

Vala shifts and stretches, her own body needing to empty. She finally slept well, though, and doesn't particularly want to move yet. She gives herself a little longer until she has no choice. "Sucks being a girl..."

"What was that?" He can't really hear her as he walks back. 

"Nothing." She calls so he can hear her. "Just complaining."

Cam figures she's going to relieve herself too and starts looking around for things to use as spears. Long branches, sharp rocks, vines, and the like.

He manages to cobble together a spear that he thinks is fairly sturdy using a long stick, twine from his pack, and one of their sharpened knives.... but after half an hour of trying he's still not anywhere close to producing a meal for them. 

Vala wanders up to find him, then sits on the ground and just watches. He looks over at her and gives her a wry smile. "Not much luck." 

"Would you rather me try?" 

Cam isn't too proud to hand it over to her. She takes her time looking around, but the fish they'd spotted aren't near the river's edge. 

She gives up after a few minutes, too. Neither of them want to waste too much daylight, but Vala can't resist one request: "I want to bathe." 

She says it in a whining, pleading voice. 

Cam gives in without a fight. "Okay, you wash off. I'll break down the tent and get our stuff packed."

"Then you take a turn," she demands. He has to laugh at that. 

"Of course. I wouldn't want to continue to offend your delicate sensibilities." 

"Right..." She isn't entirely sure what that means, but it sounds like a yes to her. 

*

Vala doesn't have much in the way of cleaning supplies but she makes a point to give Sam a mighty 'I told you so' the next time she sees her, because she'd been the first one to tell Vala how pointless it was to pack miniature bottles of shampoo and conditioner in her pack. She knows it won't last too long so she uses a minuscule amount, barely enough to lather up her hair. 

She makes a quick pass over the rest of her body to spread the suds clinging to her fingers around. Even if she had no soap at all, the water moving around her feels cleansing in a way all on its own. 

She knows Cam won't take long to pack their things, so she can't take nearly as long as she wants... but she feels like a new person when she steps out of the water, completely naked. She gives her dirty clothes a look, realizing that she hadn't gotten the change of shirt, underwear, and pants that are packed away.

She hesitates, then calls out in a loud voice, "Cameron?" 

Before he can respond, she slips back into the water, kneeling so that she's submerged to the tops of her breasts... about as covered as she's going to get, though if he looked too closely he could probably see. Idly, she wonders if he will look. If the situation were reversed she certainly would, but she's been trying to get a peek at what he keeps under those BDUs for a while now... just for comparison's sake. The thought makes a grin curl across her lips and that's what Cam sees when he walks up. 

"You done- whoaaaa, whoa, whoa." He spins around, facing away. "You are definitely not wearing any clothes." 

Vala's laugh is rich and loud. "Colonel Mitchell, you astound me with your skills of observation. My clean clothes are in my bag, could you fetch it for me?" 

He grabs her bag and puts it down on the edge of the water. "I'm just gonna... go... walk." He takes off away from her. "You get dressed!" 

She's still laughing when she rises from the water. There's not much she can do to dry off, and since it's still early the air on her damp skin makes chillbumps prickle up. She wrings her hair out the best that she can and then shimmies into clean clothes. 

"You decent yet?" Cam calls out. 

"I'm never decent," she shoots back. "But I am dressed, if that's what you mean."

She folds up her dirty clothes, wishing that she could wash them. She knows it would just be worse to walk around with a pack of damp clothing all day, though. 

She doesn't offer to share her shampoo or conditioner, but she has least has enough pity on Cam to give him some privacy while he washes off. He appreciates it, scooping up mud from the bottom of the river to rub on his skin and then scrubbing it all off with his hands. It feels cool and refreshing and he definitely understands why Vala thought this was worth spending time on. 

What he definitely doesn't do is think of walking up on her naked, because he's a soldier and a team leader and if he stops letting himself think like that he really might start to lose hope. This is still a mission, and the directives haven't even changed: get his team back safely.

He takes a few more indulgent minutes in the cool water trying to scrub the grease and grime from his hair. Nothing will work as good as a nice bar of soap or a bottle of shampoo. He looks around for recognizable plants that might work but nothing seems familiar. 

"Well, time's up, I suppose." He's talking to himself. Gets out and shakes off before looking through his clothes. He's got a clean set but he's deciding if he should use the dirty ones to dry himself or if that would just be like re-applying the dirt that he just cleaned.

"OH..." Vala appears from the trees. "Thought you said something..."

Cam's startled at first then grabs his briefs and pulls them on. "I did... Was talking to myself." He can feel his face heat up and knows that he's bright red. Vala's just giving him a huge grin and he can't even look at her for a minute.

"No reason to be embarrassed, Colonel." She gives him a wink when he turns his face up to her again but that makes him look away again and she laughs. "No reason at all..." She mutters as she walks back to camp and does one last walk through to make sure nothing's been missed.

When Cam makes it back to camp he's feeling a little less shame but is still a little pink. "The water is pretty cold..." He doesn't even know why he says it, it just comes out. The goofy look that crosses her face, before she starts chuckling again, makes him heat up.

"Really, Cam, I wasn't really looking... but if I was it would be plenty impressive." She pats his cheek as she walks in front of him to gather he pack onto her back. "Plenty..."

Sometimes there really isn't any way to respond to her so he doesn't, even though internally he's feeling pretty proud. "Ready to go?" He slips his own pack on and she nods at him.

"Lets see if we can hunt down something to eat." She hands him a powerbar and they start walking.

They both eat a full bar, knowing they'll need the energy if they want to hike most of the day, and they both want to. 

Vala gets bored midmorning. She starts to sing - little jingles and songs she's learned since discovering the magic of radio stations. "Daniel hates this one," she says, belting out something about someone who is apparently adamant on wanting a phone call. It's catchy in a cute way because Vala's the one singing it, and it's more entertaining than being left alone with his own thoughts. 

It takes her nearly an hour to talk him into singing with her. He teaches her a couple of country songs he remembers from childhood, the silliest ones he can think of. 

The conversation idles, lags and then picks up again, a thread that carries them through the hours. They stop to replenish their water and because Cam, though he'd never admit it, needs a break. He rubs his palm against his thigh and feels the ache there, protesting the long walking hours. He has no intention of wasting medical supplies and painkillers they might need on this right now, but it's still just a little too sharp of a pain for him to ignore on willpower alone. There's nothing to do but walk through it, so after a few minutes he gets to his feet again. 

Vala springs right back up, smiling. She's actually happier taking his lead right now; in the beginning she did her own thing because her own judgement was what she trusted most. Now... she trusts him to lead her to safety. She won't hesitate to give her own input, too, but when he gives an order she'll listen.

"Do you think there's any one on this planet?" She's looking around as they walk, taking in the wonderful climate, the lovely woods and nice water. "Seems like a waste if there isn't."

Cam peers up at the sun, it's sharp and bright and the heat beats down on his cheeks. "Maybe we ended up here the few days it's tolerable... what if tomorrow it's crazy hot?"

"Then we'll have to spend all day in a shady spot in the water." She grins at him, always finding a solution is her speciality. "A day on the beach. Nothing to complain about."

"Until your fingers and toes turn into raisins. And you're so water logged you feel sick." 

"I didn't say you had to stay in the whole time. Out to dry off a tad then back in." She skips a bit and turns around to walk facing him, noting the smooth ground before her first. "We'd probably even get friendly with the fishes and be able to catch them by hand like that show I saw on one of your weird earth channels."

This makes Cam laugh. "What do you even watch?"

She just shrugs, unashamed of the entertainment she finds in things. "Some days I just can't read one more book. Have to watch some mind numbing television to occupy myself instead."

"Remind me to get you some better things to watch."

"Like what? Boring, boy, space shows?" She gives him a face and turns to walk forward again. 

If she wasn't so funny about how she worded things he might be offended, but instead he's just amused. "Hey, now, those boy space shows are what I grew up on. Plus they're much better then catching giant fish with your hands."

"How did you know they were giant?" She's caught him and stops, flipping around. "You've watched it, too!" She accuses.

"Uh... damn... maybe..." He just looks guilty and knows it. "How could I not watch it when it's so awful looking. Sometimes you just can't look away..."

"Exactly." 

The silence resumes for a bit and Vala's starting to feel the walking. She's sure Cam must be hurting. She catches glimpses of his pain when he doesn't realize she's looking. She wishes she could help him. Not much that can be done, except stop moving.

"I think I'd like to stop and try to get some food for us..." She finds a good shade tree close to the shoreline and props her pack against it. "You wait here. I'm going to try your spear thing again..." She waits until he's sitting and then pulls her shoes and socks off, rolls up her pants and wades into the water.

"I should be helping."

She doesn't want to point out his pain. "I'm better at this if you stay over there. Now shush...." She focuses on the water, the fish are small mostly, that might be the problem. Smaller target equals harder to hit. She wades in a little further and sees a few larger versions. She makes herself very still-arm poised at the ready-watching the fish swim and swim. Eventually one pauses to eat or to do something quiet, whatever it is that fish do. And that's when she pounces. The spear flies from her hand she grazes the side of the fish, but it's enough to wound it's fin and Vala reaches in and captures it.

"I GOT ONE!" She tosses it up the shore and bounces out towards Cam.

"Well, damn," Cam says. He's impressed, but thrilled - he doesn't care where the food comes from, they both just need it right now. He immediately gets to work setting up a small fire, using the flint that they both have in their packs. 

"I should try for another!" She looks back at the river, clearly excited by her victory. 

"This is good for now," Cam says. He doesn't doubt that she could if she tried but he knows they don't need to extend the break too much longer. "We'll just have this one now. I'll set my watch to beep at us an hour before when night fell yesterday. We can try to catch a decent dinner." 

"Did you still want to do traps, too?" Vala asks, taking over the fire while Cam cleans the fish. They sit and watch it, both of them fascinated as it cooks. 

They dig into it with their fingers when it's done. The chunks of fish are bland but delicious, and Cam's stomach rumbles pleasantly as he swallows it down. 

As soon as she's finished her portion Vala tries to talk him into trying for more again but Cam is adamant this time. Her stomach actually is full now, after days and days of such little food, but her mind tells her how little that really was split between the two of them. 

They're in even better spirits as they keep walking. They go a little slower, taking in the area in a way they hadn't been before. They stop now and then to peer at the water, turning over rocks to see if there are any different types of things living along the shore that they could try to cook. Vala catches one little lizard like thing but she just pets a finger down its back and then sets it free again. 

Cam watches her with a smile on his face.

"What?" She sees the look. "It was cute. I named it Scarlendranochte."

"So I even want to know what that means?"

She just shakes her heads and moves on. Her stomach rumbles loudly, demanding more food. "Feels like we just ate that fish..." She pats it trying to soothe it's distress. 

"We could try for some more in an hour or so." He cannot wait to stop for the night. He's actually not sure how many days he'll be able to keep up this pace. Right now he's pushing himself more than he should and he's paying for it.

She glances down at her belly. "You listen up. I'll feed you when I can. No complaints, got it?" It growls back in a way that shows how displeased it is with that. "Hey now. I feed you well, when I can."

He's fascinated watching her. "You talk to your stomach a lot?"

"Only when it needs a good talking to."

**

True to his word, Cam calls it a day an hour before when he'd marked sunset happening the day before. Vala immediately makes for the stream again, and Cam sets up camp for them and gets a fire going. It wasn't cold enough the night before to really need it, but there is something sort of nice about a fire crackling. 

He's got their stuff set up in clear view of where Vala's fishing so he sits there prodding the fire until it's nice and strong, and watches her. She flounders a bit, trying to find the best spot, but he hears her cry of victory when she manages to get her first one. He gets up, brushing debris off his hands onto his pants, and goes to join her. She's put the formerly-wriggling fish out of his misery and put it on a rock so she could wade back in. 

Once she has a second one Cam demands a turn but proves once again that her hand/eye coordination are just plain sharper than his are. 

"This is going to taste so good. I caught them, so you have to cook them," she decides, bouncing on the balls of her feet. 

Cam narrows his eyes at her. "Hey, now. I set up the camp." He sees her start to get her sulk on and has an idea. "Okay, I'll cook the fish if you wash our clothes. They oughta dry okay overnight, and I'll like to wear something that doesn't smell. We can hang up a line for them with some of the twine." 

Vala seems to take this as an acceptable trade-off on responsibilities, mostly because she'd already been planning on giving her clothes a good soak. She doesn't really mind doing his, too.

The fish spin on the little twigs as Cam cooks them. He keeps an eye on them one on Vala. She's humming to herself as she scrubs the clothes. They found some weed that can be used as soap. Both of them tested it on their arms to make sure there was no reaction before she started to scrub with it. Luckily for the cleanliness of their clothes both of them were un-affected. 

"How's it going over there?" She looks back with a grin. "The laundry's almost done." She waves his boxer briefs on her finger before she goes about getting them clean.

"Food will be ready soon. Be careful with those. They're one of my favorite pairs!" He feels like he should be more embarrassed by Vala handling his underwear but he actually doesn't mind. 

"Bet they're comfy...."

"Do not even think about it."

"What?" She acts innocent.

Cam just shakes his head. I've had enough girlfriends to know how much you women like to steal clothes..."

"They're so soft and-"

"No." Cam pulls the fish out and places them on a large leaf to cool. He nabs his clean briefs and wrings them out as he walks over the to line that they've strung. "I only have 2 pair and these pants chafe without any..."

"Well, we wouldn't want that," Vala says, as though she has a vested interest in the safety and comfort of those particular bits of Cam's anatomy. There's just enough of a hint of suggestion in her voice to make him flush. 

She's finished with the laundry by the time night falls, and the fish is done and ready for them to eat. They talk about finding fruit or maybe making some sort of stew but the only way Cam knows to find out what is edible would be to try it - and he's not quite desperate enough to risk that yet. All of his field survival training fails him when the vegetation is nothing he's ever encountered before, on a foreign planet.

It's another warm night so once their bellies are full and they've given the area one final once over they go to sleep. 

*

Vala's up first this time due to her rumbling stomach. She thinks the odds of catching a fish for them for breakfast are pretty good and she's so preoccupied with that thought that it takes her a moment to notice how close she and Cam have managed to shift together during the night. His hand is resting just across her wrist and she knows he must have done it in his sleep because he's always careful to keep his distance - not in a cold way, just in a very... professional way. Vala likes to push his buttons but she also does understand and, in a strange way, respects him for the fact that he never looks at her like most men do. She hasn't had a lot of respect in her life and at some point she learned to stop demanding it and just make the most of what men did want her for. 

It also makes it all the more titillating when she can catch him off guard. 

She slips her hand out from under his touch. His eyes flicker open, always on the edge of alertness, but he must not realize that he'd grabbed her. She gives him a smile and says, "Go back to sleep for a bit. I'm going to find breakfast." 

He blinks at her again, sleepy now that he knows there's no threat, and then just nods a little.

She's getting really good at spear fishing. "I could have been one of those native type of people that I read about on Earth..." She mutters to herself as she nabs a nice big fish for their breakfast. She catches two more and then heads back up to start a fire. 

Cam's already up though. "I thought about sleeping more but my stomach was making too much of a racket." He grins and grabs one of the fish to clean. "Decided to get the fire going so we could eat faster."

"A man that is motivated by his stomach? Something new and refreshing." They both laugh and she hands over the third fish. Lets him have the messy job. 

It's comfortable together as they cook the fish. The two smaller ones are done first and each of them pick the meat off and start filing their bellies. Cam peels an orange that they still have and gives her half of it. The citrus flavor is sort of a nice compliment to the fish. 

When then large fish is cooked Cam's careful to divide it up and they both eat their fill. Surprisingly they finish all the food. "I guess I was hungrier than I though..." Cam looks over the utter destruction from their breakfast.

"I'm never hungrier than I think. Most of the time I can't get enough but right now I'm pleasantly full." She starts to clean up and pack up while Cam douses the fire and buries the fish remains. "More walking?"

"Yeah, I'm not convinced that we're alone on this planet. It's so nice..." The trees are large and fish are healthy. The atmosphere is perfect... It would be odd that no one had colonized here yet.

She just murmurs her agreement and finishes stowing all the things. "I just hope that we find civilization before all the fabric on our clothes wears too thin."

"Don't want to wear leafwear around me?"

"It's scratchy." She's got a grin on her face, big and sincere. "Plus I look really good in giant leaves. You probably couldn't handle it."

He hides his response under a chuckle but he's sure she's right. Vala's hot and while he tries not to notice all the time, it's hard not to. Her walking about in a leaf bikini wouldn't help him.

They walk, more quietly this morning than they had been the day before. It's just after their brief lunch stop to eat the last piece of fruit he'd had and a power bar split between them when Cam notices darkness gathering in the south. He hopes the clouds will go away from them but the more they walk the darker it grows. 

His watch says it's still two hours until night fall but he isn't sure he wants to risk having to set up camp in a storm. 

"We should stop," Cam says. 

Vala nods, eyes flickering overhead. She's been noticing - and thinking - the same thing. "Do you want me to try to catch some fish?" 

"I don't think we'd get it cooked before the rain hits." Cam sounds regretful. "We'll just have to make do." 

They stop to scout the area and realize that they haven't been fast enough. They're not quite fast enough - heavy drops of rain splatter onto them as they finish setup and they both crawl inside. 

The storm has brought a chill with it and Vala's shivering already. "Wet clothes off," Cam orders, digging into their packs. "We need to keep it dry in here." 

Vala yanks off her jacket and t-shirt without hesitation - and then just holds them. "Where do we want to put them?" 

Cam pulls out a plastic bag, the one the fruit had been kept in. "This will do for now. Hopefully this will pass by morning and we can dry our stuff then." 

She drops her top layers into the bag and then shimmies out of her pants, grabbing the dry ones with a sigh of relief while Cam does his best to pretend she's not just stripped down right beside him.

He's reluctant to follow suit. Her skin was glinting pale white at him in the low light and he's not sure if she'll be able to see the starting reaction. Cam's happy for the chill because it made it less noticeable. He shouldn't have been thinking about her looks earlier. It left his mind wandering in the wrong areas. They need to stay professional, teammates, friends... Nothing more. 

"You now." She's not sure she can read the expression on his face. Everything about it is unfamiliar. He's obviously chilled as well, his teeth are clanking. He's still in another place so she kneels up and tugs at his shirt. "You're going for hypothermic, are you?"

The fingers on his BDU buttons bring him out of his thoughts and he brushes them away. "I got it." 

She sits back, just making sure. "Well, you seemed to be frozen, quite literally."

"I doubt I'd get hypothermic. No need for dramatics." He realizes how cold, pun intended, that sounds after he says it and feels bad. But it's about defending himself from her right now. There's too much vulnerability and there's no way anything can come of this. Of them. 

Vala tries not to act hurt. "No need to be mean..."

"Sorry-" He stops, unable to explain that he was trying to prevent an embarrassing situation that he's sure that she'd be in favor of reminding him of. No thanks. Luckily, the temperature mixed with the exchange has calmed any sort of erection and he quickly strips and puts on something dry. His clothes are added to hers and he stuffs them into the corner. "Unzip your sleeping bag."

She looks confused, but does it. "I think that it's much colder when you're not zipped snuggly into it, Cameron..."

"Yeah, I know." He just opens hers and flattens it on the ground then unzips his before connecting them together. "Best way to generate body heat..."

"Pretty sure that method is supposed to be achieved with skin on skin." She makes a threatening move to take off her shirt, a giant grin on her face exposed by the bright lightning strike. His hand stills hers before she can follow through.

"We're not going to die of the chill, but it's a faster way to get warm."

"So this is just an excuse to cuddle, then, is it?" Vala says, but she snuggles back against him eagerly enough. It is cold, and she enjoys the warmth radiating off of him. She lets out a happy little moan and then reaches back and grabs his arm, tugging it around her. "Full experience." 

Cam laughs, but goes with her willingly. He hadn't really known where to put his arm anyway, and this alleviates that awkward little concern. 

They lay there together, the humidity of their bodies warming the little cocoon of sleeping bag around them. It'd be perfect if they could just drift off to sleep like this and wake when the storm is over, but... 

"I'm not tired," Vala says bluntly. "And this is boring." 

"We're staying warm," Cam says. "And dry. That's more important than having fun." 

Vala makes a doubting sound. "Why not all three? Warmth, dryness, fun?" 

"Because I'm not your hired entertainment?" Cam shoots back. 

"Yes, and it's a good thing, because your tip would be severely lacking." She huffs at him, wiggling back a little as if driving a point home. 

His arm tightens around her to still her. "Vala!" 

"Yes?" She plays innocent. 

(Not very well.)

He tries to distract her. "So..."

"Such a conversationalist."

He pinches her and laughs at her squeal. "Tell me a story. You've got to have a few."

"I've got millions. What do you want to hear?"

Cam shrugs, his fingers trailing over her arm for a moment before he realizes what he's doing and quits. "Something amusing."

"Now who is expected to be entertaining?" She wiggles against him again. "I know something els-"

"Story, Vala." Temptation is almost overwhelming for a second. "Tell me about some great heist you've pulled off." She lets out a surprised laugh and it makes Cam grin.

"There was a time when I was on some small planet. The name's unimportant." Just in case he feels the need to investigate this later. "One of the ships I'd... shall we say, borrowed, had broken down. I landed it expertly without two of the engines and needed to get some things to fix it. Well, one of the mechanics was convinced that I had no idea what I was doing and wanted me to pay him to fix it."

"Oh, boy..." Cam knows how much she likes be underestimated. 

"I thought for a time, pretending to think on it, and then proceeded to tell him what I'd use my tools to fix." She turns her head back and catches the sight of Cam's smile. "It's really too bad that that made him a little cranky."

"Just a little?"

"Enough to not want to sell me things OR help me fix it..." She shrugs against him and shivers a bit as his fingers start lightly exploring her arm again. "So I had to take matters in my own hands..."

"I'm sure this is going to turn out poorly." Cam almost groans thinking about where the tale is going.

Vala just makes tsking noises and keeps going. "I waited until the next day and spoke to one of the other people and got even less help. So I made a plan. I walked about the shop and pinpointed all the things I needed."

"You stole them?"

"I... Well, technically... sort of?" She huffs and relaxes closer into him, her back resting flush with his chest now. "I left them a little payment for the items."

"How little?"

"Oh, about a fifth..." Vala's unconcerned. "They could have sold them to me for full price right off. I'd have paid it and everyone is happy. Instead I'm forced to break in under the cover of night, take what I need and fix my ship without double checking my work..."

"Poor Princess."

"Certainly. I was the one inconvenienced, after all." Vala manages to still sound affronted at the slight. She falls silent then, listening to the rain beat on the tent just above them. "Why do you call me princess?" 

"Hm?" Cam's own mind had been wandering... an indulgent little trip back home, wishing he were in his bed in his apartment. It takes a moment for his mind to catch up with what she'd said. "I don't know. You just seem like one, I guess." 

"Like royalty?" 

She's still confused but that impression leaves a bad taste in her mouth and he can sort of sense it, so he tries to think of a better way to explain. "No, not royalty," he says. "I mean - I guess, technically. But more like you ought to have people that... that want to do things for you. Knights fighting to protect your honor and... ladies making your bed every night and stuff." 

"And a pretty pink dress?" She's seen those pictures of Tau'ri princesses. She does actually sort of like the dresses... 

"Well, of course. And a tiara. With gems." 

"I could have had a tiara." She sighs wistfully. "You wouldn't let me keep it. And - oh, hey, you fought a knight! Does that count?" 

"I fought the knight, I didn't become one," Cam points out. "I think that makes me the opposite." 

"Well, you were fighting to save my life." 

"And my own... and Jackson's, and Carter's, and Teal'c's." 

"Yes, but," she brushes that aside as insignificant. "But mine, too. So I'm a princess? But not a queen, ever, because the queens in your movies are evil."

"And queen just doesn't roll off the tongue as well." He tickles the inside of her elbow and regrets it when the sharp point jabs his side in retaliation. "Ouch!"

"You use nicknames a lot?"

Cam thinks on it and realizes that he does. "I guess so. Just a habit I picked up. Not sure why."

"I like it. Makes me feel like you know someone when you can give them a nickname. Like you've uncovered a fun aspect of their personality and can praise them for it."

That sounds mostly right, except a lot of his nicknames are more mocking than complimentary. But Vala doesn't need to know that. "You do it, too."

"I do it cause it catches people off guard a little. They wonder what I just called them and it distracts them enough so I can get my way. Or get the hell out."

There is more silence, Cam can smell the faint scent of her hair, the soft locks brushing his cheek when she wiggles. "Hey, did you pack shampoo?" When she stiffens in his arms he has his answer. "You didn't even share!"

"A girl needs to smell her best. I don't know how long we're gonna be lost and alone. Can't be too generous with that sort of thing..." It is a perfect explanation to her.

"You don't want me to smell better than."

"Not at the expense of me not having one more washing of my hair." When he chuckles at that she knows that he's not really mad about it. "Besides, I'm sure we'll find something or someone soon."

"You don't smell that bad anymore," Vala offers. "Sort of like - like a man." 

"Well, that's good," Cam jokes. "Be awfully strange if I smelled like anything else." 

"No, but like a man in a good way, not in a gross way." Vala tries to clarify, reaches out and laying her hand over his where it's now stilled on her arm.

She's a tactile person and she can't help but enjoy this. After her time as Qetesh, being able to experience but not feel much at all, she likes the reassurance. It's relaxing her in a way she hadn't even realized needed realizing, something in her that has been winding tighter and tighter for the week or so that they've been apart from their team. 

Cam doesn't realize it, really - he doesn't stop to think about it but he knows human nature and he knows that even though it's just the two of them they're both a little stir crazy, a little desperate to see other people, so he just lets them have this little bit of each other right now. 

*

The storm goes on through most of the night. They sleep on and off, woken by cracks of thunder and bright flashes of lightning, but by the time the sun rises the clouds have mostly parted. It's left the ground soggy and all the wood too damp for a fire so they forego fishing and just eat one of their remaining power bars. The supply is pretty low and if they can't find dry kindling by that night they won't eat at all. 

He knows how that will make Vala feel so he doesn't say anything about it. Hell, he thinks, for all he knows she's got a few meals worth of something stashed away, too. He wants to think she'd be a little more kinder with sharing food than shampoo but... well, considering what he knows about her past, he can't even bring himself to mind her hoarding tendencies. 

It's a less pleasant walk, stepping around muddy puddles and walking closer to the tree line than the river now. 

The sun beats down, drying everything and in the process making it humid. They're both sweating more than normal and finally Vala stops.

"I can't take it for another minute..." She plops down on a large rocky outcropping by the river. A river that's turned less violent as they've followed it and become wider and looking very inviting. "It's too hot."

"It's not pleasant..." His leg actually feels better with the excess heat and humidity. His muscles aren't as stiff and despite being over tired from days of walking he's not doing bad. "We could take a break for a bit..."

They're both growing concerned about the dwindling amount of valuable food. "Maybe there's some dried wood, we could start a fire, I could fish, we could eat... maybe go for a swim..." 

Cam squints at her, looking into the sun. "Don't think I packed my suit..."

"Don't need it. Just us."

"Oh, Vala... I need it."

She just grins and pops off the rock. "Lets get the twine strung up and get out clothes drying.... Wait, actually lets wash them first." She start gathering their dirty set of clothes and kicks off her boots, socks and winks as she strips her pants off too. There's no time for him to protest because she's in the river, carefully making her way to a place that's current free for the most part. 

"String up that twine. I'll toss you things when I'm done. Then we can relax in the water for a bit to cool off." He does whats requested and she begins washing in earnest. He catches each article like a champ, hanging them up to dry after wringing them out. 

He can't make himself look away as she strips off her tank top, showing only her black bra and matching panties. Her stomach is flat and soft looking and her hip bones seem to jut out even more than the last time he caught a glimpse of this much of her. Vala turns to him and waves for him to join her.

"Think I'll just stay up here." There are too many dangerous thoughts in his brain. Unfortunately Vala doesn't give up easily. She dunks herself under and comes up with a giant smile, turns to him and just tilts her head. 

"It's wonderful out here." She walks back up the shoreline to him and grabs his hand. Her cool one must feel almost like ice on his overheated one. "You're too warm, Cameron. Come on." She doesn't wait for him, just starts unbuttoning his BDU shirt.

"Vala... Vala...." There's no stopping her, even batting at her hands she just moved to his pants and that made him think better of it. "Okay..."

"Really?"

"Yeah, just gimme a sec. I'll be in."

She smiles indulgently at him. She really does just want him to relax a little; it's not all about sex, always, though she certainly can't fault him for assuming differently with her. 

When she's done unbuttoning the shirt she pushes it off of his shoulders then turns and takes it down to the water. "We can wash this, too." 

He is strangely disappointed that she stops after that, but shoves the feeling down deep and followers her into the water. It does feel good - crisp and cool and perfect on his skin, making him tingle. The night had been long and hard on both of them and he decides to not feel bad about the ground coverage the afternoon break will cost them. 

"See?" Vala says, sounding triumphant. "Isn't this nice?" 

"Yeah, yeah." Cam pretends to grumble. "Not half bad." 

She giggles at him. 

"You hiding soap somewhere in there?" He acts suspicious. 

"Oh, I wish," Vala moans. "No, and I'm saving my shampoo, so don't even ask. The sand along the bottom of the river isn't a horrible exfoliant... at least, somehow I feel cleaner after." She reaches down and scoops some up, walking over to him. "Turn around."

He turns and she smears it over his back and rubs it in. He groans at the way her hands rub against his flesh, against muscles sore from sleeping on the ground and carrying a heavy pack. Vala notices and rubs harder, what had been a brief scrub turning into a massage. She backs off after a couple of minutes though, scoops up water and then splashes it against his skin until the mid is all gone. Her hands briefly venture back to his neck to rub against the tendons there one more time and then she steps away. "See?"

"Not sure how clean I feel after being slathered with sand and mud, but... still felt good," he admits.

"My turn." She paddles backwards to him and the slosh of mud on her back makes her stiffen slightly before she starts to enjoy his palms rubbing the grit along her back. "Wait..." She doesn't hesitate and pulls her bra off, crossing her arms in front of her. 

"Vala..." He tries to hide the gasp of surprise and appreciation as he looks at the lines of muscle and tendon that line her back. 

She turns her head to look at him. "It was in the way of being clean..." She doesn't say anything more but turns back and waits, knowing-somehow- that Cam won't be able to resist the invitation. 

He gathers more sand and river bottom in his hands and starts to work it in again. 

"It does feel good." When he's done with her back he doesn't stop there, much to her delight, he does her shoulders and biceps. It lasts until she lets her arms drop a little and the tips of his fingers brush the sides of her breasts. She sucks in air and he's backing away before she can try to cover that anything was different. Vala dunks and rubs the excess grit off her body. She comes back up and he's made himself distanced. "It's alright." She calls out to him.

Cam pretends not to hear her. She was so soft, so plush and smooth and all that he felt her with was the tips of his fingers. He can't think of her like that... He can't. He just waves at her and starts to do the breast stroke around the shallower waters. He would rather lay on his back but there's the unfortunate start of his arousal. No way is he letting her get that into her inventory. They're already having to be extremely close and-

His thoughts are interrupted when he turns the bend in the river. He sees a flag. A blue and green flag with white dots on one side. "Vala!" Thankfully, when she comes swimming after him, her bra is back in place. Her face is panicked and he's pointing at the cloth that's flapping in the wind.

"Are you alright?" She follows his finger and then gasps. "People!!!!" She leaps at him and hugs him tight. "People!" She repeats herself and grins like crazy. "We were so close!"

He laughs. "Well, we can't go find the welcome wagon dressed like this. Let's let the clothes dry a little and then go find them."

Vala squirms impatiently, hopping out of the water - but that only lasts a minute, until she starts to feel warm again and then she wades back in. 

*

Two hours later the sun has done a good job of drying their things and they quickly pack back up and walk in the direction of the flag. "They might be hostile," Cam warns her. "We don't have a guarantee that they'll even offer us any help."

Vala gives him a look that can be best surmised as: duh. She wiggles her arm a little and one of their knives slides into her hair. "I'm prepared, Cameron. Are you?" 

He isn't quite as clever - his is just tucked into his belt. "And if they are... hostile," he goes on. "Then we need a plan." 

"Back to the pod?" Vala asks. "It might not fly, but it's secure and we know it latches from the inside. The technology behind that alone might be enough to ward them off. These people can't be that advanced, or we'd have seen signs of it already. Irrigation, wiring, transportation routes. They certainly can't have much in the way of transportation or we'd hear it. No ships, or automobiles... it's probably an isolated village, or the settlement of a tribe." 

Cam nods. He hadn't thought of any of that, but he would have soon - her mind just works a little faster than his does. 

Despite being able to see the flag it still takes them a little while to actually get to it. Houses come into view first, neat pockets of little huts with dirt roads leading to each and one main road in between. 

"Well, that's pretty un-advanced," Cam comments.

There are two small children playing and they look up curiously at the new arrivals. There's no screaming or calling for help which gives them both a bit better feeling. The houses are fairly well spaced, with gardens and little yards and room to breathe. Vala likes the looks of it all. 

"They looked pretty clean." She grins at the two children as they pass and they give her a smile in return. "And friendly."

"They're also about seven..." He's cautious but she's right, most hostile people would probably have everyone, even the young ones, on high alert for strangers. 

It doesn't take long to reach the center of the town, or at least the first main area. A group of people emerge from a central hut and walk towards them.

"Hi, I'm Colonel Cameron Mitchell. This is Vala Mal Doran." They just stare at him intently and it makes him wonder if they've stumbled upon the only race that doesn't speak a version of english in the entire universe.

The illusion only lasts for a few more seconds, though. The man that looks to be in charge speaks.

"How did you find us?"

Before Cam can speak Vala launches into a long winded, but entertaining, explanation. AS the tale unfolds more people begin to gather and she loses herself to recreating every minute detail. She pulls from within and gives these people a show. Cam just sits back and enjoys as well, nodding when she cues him and giving his agreement to some parts that seem almost unbelievable. The truth might be stretched a bit but it's close enough for Cam to let her have her artistic license. 

After she finishes everyone is still staring in wonder. "And that is how we got here." She concludes.

"You've both had a long journey. Please come in, rest. I am chief Marol and my wife is inside. She's our leader and priestess. Her name is Relac, she's kind and fair and most beautiful, if I do say so myself."

Cam and Vala follow him inside, thanking him for his hospitality.

The first thing that strikes Vala is the smell of food. There's some sort of baked bread and it makes her mouth water. Her eyes immediately dart around to try and zone in on the location of it but she realizes it must still be cooking. 

Cam is talking with Marol. He's picking his words carefully, she can tell; if these people aren't aware of aliens, other planets, life in the galaxy - then it probably wouldn't do them any favors to be the ones to drop the news on them. She herself has been chased out of too many villages in her life with cries of witchcraft and deceiver being flung at her.

And these people do seem to be very much in the dark. She tunes back in just as he's explaining that they come from far away. 

"Ahh, across the waters," Marol says, nodding and smiling. 

"Well, we certainly can't blame you for seeking refuge here," Relac says with a mischievous sort of smile on her face. Cam and Vala don't quite get the joke, but they can both infer that there's some sort of competition between what must be two distant villages. "How long have you been walking? Most travelers say it takes the better part of a half-cycle to journey over waters." 

"Yeah," Cam says, looking at Vala. "It's been about that." 

Of course, he doesn't know how long a cycle is for them - a year? A month? 

Vala jumps right in. "And we're very tired. And very hungry." 

She's looking at Relac with big, sad eyes... and Cam has to bite back a smile when it works. Relac, who seems to be about the same age as Cam's mother, begins to fawn over Vala. They're both shown to a small room with hand made furniture, wooden structures covered over with woven cloth, and Relac prepares bread and some sort of meat for them while Marol continues to talk. 

"Is it your aim to settle here?" Marol asks. 

Cam looks at Vala and a brief conversation takes place in the space of that look. "We were told to go in search of a... structure. A big metal ring..." 

Marol's expression is pure confusion. "Metal ring?" 

"With lights," Vala adds. "And sometimes it glows?" 

Marol shakes his head. "There's no such thing here, and we've scouted lands in all directions, to the very place where the waters meet." 

Cam swallows. That doesn't sound promising. "What about the other villages?" 

He's sort of taking a leap of faith, but Marol has already confirmed that the planet has other occupants so it doesn't seem like too much of a stretch. 

"Messengers come between villages a few times a cycle... you might check with them, we're expecting one in just a few weeks." 

"The messengers would know?" Cam hopes the question won't give them away but he can't stop himself from asking. 

"Oh, yes. They spend their entire lives traveling to one edge of the waters and beyond, to visit our friends and enemies a like. There is no piece of land in this world that messengers don't have charted on their maps and in their books." Marol smiles at them. 

"Could you give us a place to stay until a messenger arrives?" Vala asks, shameless. 

Relac walks in just as she's asked. She hands Cam and Vala each a plate of food and a cup of water. "Dear?" Marol asks, looking at her with a smile that makes the lines in his face deepen. "Is there place in our village for them?" 

Relac looks Cam and Vala up and down. "Our village grows with each passing year because of the individuals that form it. We offer kindness and respite to those in need, but we do not harbor those who don't contribute to the greater good of our people. What can you offer us?"

Cam and Vala just look at each other and he's kinda looking for her to lead but she's just grinning at him. 

"Cam's very good with his hands and I'm quite the spear fisher..." She winks at him

Marol thinks over it and looks to her husband. "Do we need more laborers for the mines? Or perhaps the farmers need some help?"

"I believe that the crops will be large and an extra harvester in the coming weeks will be helpful. And I will see if the fishing men need any assistance but most of the women help cook or make a home." Relac watches them.

Cam's not really looking forward to the heavy work. His thigh twinges just at the thought of being on his feet constantly. "We'll do what you need from us."

Vala can see him thinking, already imagining the pain that will accompany the heavy farm work. "I'd be more of a hinderance in a kitchen I think, But I can definitely do some gardening or simple cooking after I'm taught." 

The two leaders make eye contact, seemingly communicating without words. Relac turns back to them. "Follow me. I'll show you to your new home."

They follow Relac out of the house. Vala gives the plate she's leaving behind a longing look that makes Cam smile a little. He reaches over and squeezes her arm reassuringly. These people seem willing enough to help them; they shouldn't go hungry any time soon. 

"Most families grow their own crops for meal time, but we have communal gardens so that there is produce to trade. I'm not sure how your villages work across the waters, but we have traders that come by once a full moon to offer us items from all over the land - things that we cannot harvest or hunt here, medicines and tools... we also keep a bounty to feed those that cannot any longer work themselves." Relac smiles kindly at them but Cam hears the strain of something harder underneath the sweet tone. She wants them to know that they have to pull their weight, and he understands that. 

"That won't be a problem," he says. 

It's a short walk, maybe a mile down the road before they come to another small crop of huts. "It's not much," she says, voice slightly apologetic. "Kaylin and Les lived here just after they were wed, but once they began to grow their family it was much too small. She had twins!" 

There is a note of pride in Relac's voice. 

"It'll certainly be better than sleeping on the ground," Vala says, sounding confident. 

"It's been over a year since Kaylin and Les lived here, so I'm sure you'll want to do some cleaning. Cameron, was it?" She waits until Cam nods. "I'll have Marol bring you some tools - an axe to chop wood for the fire, blankets to sleep under. I'm not sure what they've left, but I'm certain it isn't much." 

She steps back toward the door and then out it, leaving Cam and Vala alone. They both let their packs slip off and to the ground, and start to explore. It is small - barely more than a two room cabin. The larger room has a couch similar to the one in Marol and Relac's house but slightly smaller. There's a kitchen as well, a heavy squat stove and a cabinet to the side. There are a couple of pots left in it, dust gathered on them, but not much more than that. 

The bedroom has the frame of a bed on it and a heavy chest at the foot of it. "Empty," Vala says, disappointment in her voice as she opens the chest. 

"What were you expecting, princess? Treasure?" 

Cam opens a door off to the side, expecting something like a closet but finding another small room instead. Vala peeks over his shoulder. "That can be your room."

He glances back at her, rolling your eyes. "Or yours."

There is another room that's a bathroom, a tub and toilet looking device, Vala tests the handle looking for flush and it works. This excites and scares her because she wants to know more about the sort of modern, but sort of not, people. 

"Of all the things that keep with an Earth type of culture I'm glad to see that flushing toilets wins out." Cam nods his agreement. 

He looks around the little bathroom. "But, uh... What do we wipe with?"

"That is a very good question and not one too delicately inquired after, I'm afraid." Vala searches around and finds no clues. "None of those adorable bears in sight."

Cam tries to think on the old days. He's really hoping that there is a market with a nice roll of paper, but he's betting that it's a personal rag or something equally as horrifying. "Maybe we can get some leaves..."

"Or build a bath tissue plant." Vala shuts the door as they exit. "I think we should start with airing the place out and dusting. We have some time before dark and they are going to be by with blankets and things. I hope there are pillows, too. We can also use our sleeping bags."

The fact that there is only one bed worries Cam. He made it through one night close to Vala but he can't imagine that his track record will remain so good if he's forced to sleep with her for who knows how long.There isn't really space for another bed, probably the first owner's issue, and it appears that they assumption was made that they were a couple anyway. As much as he wants to set the record straight he also doesn't want to be separated from Vala. He'll just have to figure out how to deal with any problems that may arise...

He must chuckle out loud at the bad pun because Vala's giving him this look. "What?"

"You're laughing at...?" She wants to laugh too.

"Nothing, just the situation in general." 

"It does seem typical of me."

Curiosity gets the better of both of them and they start to explore outside. There is a small garden in the back, and someone's even been tending to it; most likely a neighbor, Cam thinks. 

There's a tree along the corner of the more well-worn grass and Vala's face lights up when she sees it. She practically skips over and reaches up, yanking a plump fruit from the limb. The sound she makes when she bites into it is pure glee, and she holds it out to Cam so he can try it, too. 

"That's good," Cam admits, wanting another bite but Vala doesn't offer him one. 

She demolishes it herself then carelessly tosses the core of it aside. She looks at the tree again like she's tempted to go back for another but decides not to. There's no way she can be hungry after the meal they'd been given, even though the fruit tastes good. 

* 

They are left to their own for another few hours but eventually there's a knock on the door. Cam opens it, the knob feeling strange under his hand - strange just because he's the one left to answer it, because it's his home - albeit temporarily, if he has his way. 

"Relac asked me to bring you these," says the young boy that's standing there. He seems to be a teenager, probably not quite sixteen yet, and though he speaks to Cam as soon as he spots Vala his face turns bright red. Cam can practically see the hearts floating above his eyes... and so can Vala. 

She bounces over and gives him one of those huge smiles. Cam can't at all blame the kid for the way he sort of goes all swoon-y looking at her. "Oh, for us? Thank you!" 

She leans over and gives him a kiss on the cheek. His voice actually squeaks. "Oh, it's - it's my pleasure, ma'am." 

"None of that, now," she says. "Call me Vala. And this is Cameron." 

She puts her hand on Cam's arm and the kid's expression darkens. "I'm Sef." 

"Well, Sef, you're very kind of bringing us these things." She's still putting it on the best way she can - which is pretty impressive. "Are you the person we need to see if we're in need of more supplies?" 

Vala asks it in all seriousness, like she thinks this adolescent would be in charge of something like that, and Sef eats it right up. His chest puffs out and he grins. "Yes, ma'am, if you need anything, just let me know." 

"I certainly will." Vala steps back and Sef seems to realize that he's being dismissed, so he gives her another huge hopeful smile and walks away. Vala hauls the oversized crate in and then leans back against the door. She smirks when she sees the look that Cam is giving her. "What, dear? Are you jealous you didn't get a kiss, too? Here." 

She leans up on her tip-toes and plants a kiss on his cheek. 

He just rolls his eyes. "You can't take advantage of overly-excitable kids." 

"Why not?" She kneels and opens the top of the crate to start going through the supplies they've been sent. There are two blankets and two pillows on the very top.

Cam thinks for a minute, shaking his head, "Because it's not nice." He knows how he'd feel in that kids position. How he used to feel a lot in junior high when the pretty girls would need something from him. Want something. "You don't know how it is."

She starts putting the goodies away. "How is it than? Explain it to me."

Some territories should be avoided with Vala and he's pretty damn sure that this is one of them. "A gorgeous girl fluttering her eyelashes, smiling, flirting... He'll be hard for hours now unless..." He doesn't need to finish that sentence.

"Ah, but think of the friend I just made us." She puts both pillows on the bed and Cam grabs one and she gives him a look.

"I'll take the couch." He tosses the pillow and one of the blankets there then turns back to her. "You're going to crush that kids fragile heart."

"Cameron, I'm like a life lesson for him. He'll appreciate me later." There are bathroom supplies, kitchen supplies, jars of foods and spices in the trunk as well. "Don't give him another thought. Now why are you taking the couch? It doesn't look very comfy and this bed is big enough."

"Big enough isn't big enough..."

She plops down on the bed and rubs her hand over the side she's not occupying. "See? Plenty of space. Didn't you like snuggling with me?"

Like he would answer that. Either way, honestly or dishonestly she won't let up. "Vala." He huffs, as if her name is answer enough. "Just... Let it be."

He grabs the kitchen stuff and takes it off to put away, effectively removing himself from Vala's penetrating gaze. 

Unfortunately, there isn't that much stuff. Once he's put away the foods and spices, then the chunky bars of soap and soft cloths for the bathroom he turns to his own pack. He isn't sure if he should unpack it or not - but he sees Vala sitting cross-legged on the bed going through her supplies and realizes that, like it or not, they're at least here for a few weeks and the empty packs might be useful for carrying things around. 

She looks up at him and smiles, patting the bed beside her. While he has no intention of sleeping on it with her, he's not opposed to at least sitting. It looks more inviting now that she's spread out the blanket and put the pillow on it. 

So he sits and she goes back to what she was doing. He takes another moment then to just appreciate what Vala brings with her on an off-world mission. He hasn't seen it spread out like this before, and it makes him chuckle. She has three hair barrettes, a pink brush, four ponytail holders, lip gloss and blush, moisturizer, shampoo and conditioner... "You didn't actually bring a hair dryer too this time?" 

"Daniel made me leave it behind," she says, sulking. 

"Well, your hair still looks just fine, princess. And that's saying a lot since you washed it in river water." 

"I'm going to save this now," she says, picking up the small bottle of shampoo. "The soap doesn't smell nearly as nice but I'll wait and use this on a special occasion." 

He's not sure what kind of occasion is going to come up here, and hopes they won't be around long enough to find out, but he doesn't say that. 

Besides her beauty supplies she has the emergency blankets and her sleeping bag. Cam plans on folding his own up for cushion on the couch, since it doesn't look all that comfortable. He's slept on worse, though. 

"What about you?" She says, looking at the backpack he's still just holding onto. "Going to unpack?"

Cam's a little taken aback, forgetting that he had a plan before talking to her. "Yeah..." He blushes a bit not sure why he would be, but he's a little embarrassed. He starts pulling his things out. He tosses both their dirty clothes into the tub for washing them and then sets aside the remaining food. He's got a small book, razor (which he plans to use shortly), a knife, some flint, zat, cartridges for his gun and not anything near as fun as Vala. 

She's eyeing up his razor and it makes him laugh. "Let me use it first?"

She grins, loving that he just agreed to let her shave with it. "I could do it for you..."

"Don't think I want you around my face with a sharp object." Or so close that he has to breathe her in for that long. "Plus I get to go first since you're the only one to bathe with actual soap lately."

"I'll do the laundry while you take a bath." Both of them walk back to the bathroom to investigate the facilities more closely. It looks as if there is water to the tub as well. Cam and Vala follow them and find the primitive water heater. It's a large, circular metal object behind the house. There is plenty of wood close to it and they can see the scar of where the fire had been previously. They work together to get a fresh one going and watch as it heats the water inside. 

"Pretty neat." Cam comments as they head back in. "Looks like you have an off shoot out here to fill the laundry tub too."

This makes her divert and test the water there. "Oh, nice and hot. Go take your bath. I'll be the little woman and do our laundry."

He doesn't poke fun, not wanting to ruin the good fortune of her doing the washing. Instead he keeps going and fills up the tub. He strips and lets his clothes drop to the floor, grabs the soap and steps in. The water is almost too hot, but he suffers a little as he lowers himself into the water. He leans back, just relishing in the feeling of getting clean. The hot water easing a lot of his aches from all the walking. A sound makes him open his eyes and look toward the door. Vala's standing there, grinning.

"Vala... What? How..." There's just clear water right now and he knows she can see all of him. His first reaction is to cover his penis but she just winks and it makes it impossible for him to move.

"Wanted to wash these, too..." She gives him an obvious once over, winks and leaves.

Once she's safely out of the room, she snickers to herself. She knows how mean it is to toy with him, but she can't help it. It's not even that she just feels that hard up for some physical companionship. It's more that she just... wants to distract him. Make him smile. Make him laugh. 

Okay, she's not really sure that trying to sneak peeks of him naked will make him laugh or smile, but it certainly livens things up. She actually does go start the laundry after that though, desperate for clothes that aren't grimy and smelling of dirt and river water. The soap itself seems only faintly scented but it's clean and fresh and a vast improvement. 

When she comes back in, Cam is already out of the water. He feels clean and the water hadn't taken long to start to cool. Vala's finished sorting out the supplies they'd been given and he sees that she's found clothing in amongst the bedding; she's folded them and laid them out for him, so he dresses in the cooler lightweight pants and loose shirt. It is better suited to the heat than his BDUs, though it feels strange to be in something different after weeks of the same uniform. 

He slides his feet into his boots and goes to find her outside, sitting by the wash tub scrubbing their clothes with the soap on a board that looks similar to what Cam remembers his grandmother having on her wall as a relic of her own childhood. "Well, don't you make a fine little woman," he teases, having somewhat recovered.

She just grins back at him and goes back to scrubbing. The edge of her tank top has edged up and her pale skin shines in the setting sun. A sheen of sweat is collecting on her arms and he watches a droplet trickle down her temple, the short loose hair there clinging to her. 

"You should use the tub next." Cam kneels down with her and offers to take over. She's almost finished with everything. "It's pretty nice. I can finish up here."

"You sure?" She leans back and props her hands on her knees. 

He just nods. "Go. I got the water started for you." There's a soft press of the side of her arm against his, nudging him. 

"Follow me and wash these things too?" She plucks at her tank in emphasis.

Cam tosses things around in his head and eventually just agrees. Knowing he'd take a ribbing if he refused because he'd see her nude. It's inevitable that they're going to see each other naked. They're living in very close quarters for who knows how long. He should just move on and get used to it. 

They walk back in together and Vala slowly starts undressing on the way. Her back completely revealed to him as they cross the short distance across the main room to the bathroom. The tank top hits him in the face as she tosses it back at him. He just hangs onto it as they walk. Her pants are next, then bra and panties. After he's got them he makes an about face and hurries out. Without staring at her ass... At least not for long. Not for too long...

Scrubbing the soap on the clothes doesn't actually take his mind off of her. It's a simple motion-dip, soap, scrub, dip, scrub, dip scrub, swap sides, soap, scrub... On and on and on. It's mind numbing a bit and he makes it through each piece of clothing and hangs them all up to dry on the line. It only takes a few minutes to empty the tub and gather the supplies. Cam's walking back in and the scent of food hits him. It's a spicy, sweet aroma that sends his mouth watering. 

"Cooking?" He walks up behind her, peaking over her shoulder.

Vala just grins at him. "Baking." She's almost done with the preparation. "You were very thorough with my underwear..."

"Oh?" He looks up as she points. The window in the kitchen looks right out over where he just was. "Didn't want to miss a spot."

"Don't worry." He raises his brows at her. "I was very thorough with yours, too." She giggles as she sticks the pie into the oven.

"In that case I oughta be making you a pie, that couldn't have been pleasant," he shoots back. He sees that she has changed into the lighter clothing they'd been given, too. She makes hers look better, that's for sure. "So what's in this pie?" 

"Fruit from the tree in the back," she says, pointing to the pile that she'd picked. 

"Didn't even know you could cook." 

"Of course I can!" She is surprised by the assumption. "There have been times over the years when I couldn't get by solely on my good looks. Like that colony on Creta Prime where all the men fancied each other... though I can't say it wasn't worth it. In fact, if I had to pick a planet to vacation on, it would probably be that one. Cameron, they were all so pretty..." 

She sighs, lost in a fantastic memory until his laughter makes her straighten her shoulders again. "You could take Sam on that one with you," Cam offers. 

Vala's face lights up with the idea. "She'd love it!" 

"Well, I think I'm gonna love whatever's in that oven." Cam breathes in deep. It does smell good - amazing, really. 

"So, can you?" Vala asks. At the slight confusion on his face she clarifies, "Cook. I might be a woman, and I might be little, but I have no intention of being the little woman - I fully expect you to pull your weight." 

"Why do I get the feeling 'pull your weight' is code for 'cater to me'?"

"Because it is." Vala grins, but she's just joking. "I think we've already proven that I'm the better with hunting-" 

"Just fishing!"

"So perhaps you'd better ask the women of the town for some tips on best preparation techniques." 

Cam glowers, for show. "I'd say for you to do the same with the men, but you'd probably just end up getting a scrawny kid to do your fishing for you." 

That hadn't occurred to Vala. "What a splendid idea!"

"Don't..." He feels a shocking surge of jealousy and even if it's unfounded and not right for him to feel that way he can' help how he feels. "Just, don't."

"But then I could just lounge in the sun, make an umbrella drink, sip it and read my cosmo over and over..." She walks over and sits at the small table in the kitchen area. 

"Somehow I don't doubt that it would work." Cam sits with her for a minute. He wants to get the main room swept up and dusted before they breathe too much of the stuff in. "How long until that's done?"

"Normally it takes about an hour. I was going to clean up the bedroom. You doing the living room area?"

"That's the plan." He gets up, his muscles complain but he winces and moves out.

Vala notices his trouble but isn't sure she should comment on it. "Maybe they'll have something for that..." She's never really followed her instincts that prevent her from prying.

"I'm fine." He's not, but she doesn't need to worry. "Might take a few days to have it be perfect though." He won't lie to her completely. Admitting he's losing to his old injury isn't something he's good at. He prefers to pretend that it will just go away if he ignores it. 

They spend the next 40 minutes cleaning. Vala's singing and dancing as she dusts up the bedroom, beats the mattress and washes the floor an windows. They get the place looking quite nice by the time the pie is finished.

It's a little crispy on the edges when Vala pulls it out but they both think that's good for not knowing much about working wood ovens. 

"God, that smells good." His stomach agrees as they plop down, each with a fork, at the table and watch it cool. "If you're making pies like this all the time how come you've been married so much?"

Vala just shrugs not really wanting to talk about that. "Guess food's not the way to everyone's heart..."

"My momma would be shocked to hear you say that," Cam says. He's digging in, a mouth full of delicious crumbly pie with juicy fruit filling. 

Vala's pleased at that. "Good. I like your mother." 

"She likes you, too," Cam says. "And pie." 

"I wish I had some of that spice she sprinkled on the apple one." Vala looks down, frowning at her slice. "And some of that whipped cream. Or maybe ice cream!" 

This would go good with any of these and it's an uneasy reminder that he's going to be denied the comforts of home from now until however long it takes to get to a Stargate. 

The sun outside starts to set and the fact that Cam hasn't had to be hiking all day is a reminder to his body that it actually likes rest. He notices Vala yawning, too. 

"I wonder what time they get to work here," he says. "No one came to give us any more information." 

Vala shrugs. She's not particularly bothered by it. "I guess we'll just find out."

They spend a little longer just relaxing and enjoying the treat. Vala covers the left overs with a towel and cleans up the mess from baking. Cam doesn't let her do all the work but groans as he stands. He ignores her look and grabs a cloth to clean up the table and wash the dishes. There's a knock on the door and it's a man that neither of them are acquainted with. 

"Hello." Cam gives a friendly wave as Vala leans her chin on his shoulder looking over it to see who it is. "I'm Cam. This is Vala."

"Gorlan, nice to meet you. I work in the fields." He's not waisting any time. It's late and from the look on his face it's clear he can't wait to get home. "We start at short time after first light. It's up this road here, first left then straight on a small distance."

"I'll be there tomorrow." Cam nods. 

She doesn't want him out there alone. "I'll go, too..." She rubs between his shoulders subconsciously. 

Gorlan shakes his head. "Sorry, miss, only men in the fields."

"I'm perfectly-"

Cam stops her. "Where would you like her to report?"

"Your woman may see the village ladies. They'll prepare communal lunch for the workers. Then you may tend to the garden and your own home." 

She's a little cranky about it but too tired to fight and she can feel how tense Cam is beneath her fingertips, worried she'll comment. "I'll be there."

"That'll be fine," Cam says. 

Gorlan gives them a smile and a nod, and having completed his task, leaves. Cam finds himself watching the door as he walks away.

On one hand, he's glad to be given something to do - he certainly wouldn't want to just be left spending all of his days here, waiting, with nothing to occupy him. On the other hand, the idea of being separated from Vala all day long is unsettling. He looks over at her.

She responds as if she can read his mind. "I'm quite capable of taking care of myself, Cameron. I'll even try to be nice if I'm left in a position of telling someone how wrong they are about something." 

Cam laughs. "You think that's a promise you can keep?" 

"I didn't promise." Vala corrects him. "I said I'd try. Though I suppose I could promise to try, if that makes you feel better." 

"Not really," Cam says, dryly.

She grins and shrugs and heads to the bedroom, flopping down on the bed. It's getting darker quickly and she reaches over to light the lantern. It flickers across the white ceiling and Vala yawns as she watches the light show. 

"I'm beat." She calls out to Cameron. 

"Yeah..."

He's calling to her from the other room and she turns to her side to try to see him. "I think it's bed time. Come to bed?"

He's not going to sleep in that bed with her. She looks so exhausted when he enters the room, it makes him feel a little sorry for her. "I'll tuck you in." He leans over her but snatches the second pillow before righting himself. "Then I'm going to the couch." 

The pout on her face makes him smile bigger at her. "But I was so nice an cozy last night."

"You can snuggle with your pillow." He backs up, just a tad, not wanting to chance be drawn in. As if that small distance will help him hold his resolve. "Plus, It's warm out."

"The sun just set. It's going to cool off."

Cam pulls another blanket out of the box and lays it on the bed, grabbing one for himself. "There's one more in there. If you need it." He hesitates just a moment before turning and leaving.

"I'll save you a place if you change your mind."

He doesn't change his mind. The couch isn't that bad, not with their sleeping bags layered on it, but it's a far cry from an actual mattress. Cam still sleeps, though, and that's all that matters. He wakes with the first light and spends a moment splashing water onto his face to drive the last vestiges of sleep away. 

Vala's still dead to the world. He hovers over her and shakes her shoulder gently. Wrapped in blankets, she just smacks her lips and mumbles and tries to turn her face from him. 

It makes him laugh but then he shakes harder, because they do have to be up. Once she's awake there's a sort of resigned determination on her face and they dress quietly, in separate rooms. She tears off a hunk of bread for him, something to fill his stomach until the promised midday meal. 

* 

Vala finds that working with the women in the town is not quite as unpleasant as she'd feared. She's a curiosity to them, getting lots of attention, which is never a bad thing in her mind. She spins a wild story that she'll have trouble remembering the details of later (poor Cameron), makes them gasp and laugh at her antics. It's enough to distract them out of giving her an overload of work, but she still makes herself useful, too. 

There are children running around, the younger ones - the older ones are gathered in a building being given school lessons. It's quaint, homey, and sort of takes Vala back to her childhood in a way that she can't say doesn't unsettle her just a bit. She's relieved when she sees the men heading toward them. Cam seems to be doing okay. His shirt is dampened with sweat and there's dirt smeared on his hands, even on his cheek. She makes a plate and fills a cup with water for him quickly and takes it over, giving an exaggerated little bow when she puts it in front of him. 

He rolls his eyes at her but guzzles down the water greedily. She grabs the cup to go refill it and gets herself a plate of food while she's there, since women seem to be serving men then eating themselves. She's glad for that; it's enough of an insult to have to serve any man, but to not be allowed to eat with them either would be beyond her breaking point. 

"I helped with the stew," she says, pride in her voice. 

Cam smiles at her, already having dug in. It's a good meal, by any standards; thick stew with meat in it, bread baked that morning and some sort of bean cooked and seasoned on the side. "You did good." 

"I know." She starts to eat, pleased.

It's all too short before Cam's being beckoned back to the fields and Vala has to help clean up and then is sent back to her house. She spends time weeding the small garden. It's a little overgrown but not horrible. There are a few ripened vegetables which she picks and brings in for dinner. 

She looks down at the tomato in her palm, the skin is a little scabbed and it looks like a face. "You ready to be part of my dinner?" Clearly it doesn't reply, but that doesn't stop Vala. "I know, I know. I just ate lunch but I'm not really sure what to do for the next meal and I know Cameron will be hungry." She sets the veggies on the counter and goes to look in the box. There are salted fish and other meats. Vala pulls out a roast and finds a pan. She adds water then starts the oven fire, just a small one, it will cook all day and then be ready for tonight. She slices some carrot things and onion and potato. It was good that lunch taught her which was what. Everything is similar to the earth foods, but not quite the same. 

After everything is going she goes to take a walk. It's only a few feet when she runs into a woman with two goats in tow. "Hello." Vala waves and the woman stops her.

"These milking goats are for you." She hands over the tie ropes unceremoniously. "Both are with kids. When they have the babies, bring them down to the 3rd house on the left to get bred again."

"Animal husbandry isn't really my-"

"No worries miss, they're easy. You may have noticed the high lines in your yard. You just clip these ends to them and they can graze. There is a small shelter behind your house for them to seek shelter."

Vala grimaces but the idea of fresh milk is one she enjoys. "How do I..."

The woman looks at her like she's from another planet, which makes Vala giggle because, well, she is. "Aim, squeeze, pull. You'll get the hang of it. Just tie them tighter when you do it..."

She's ready to ask more but the woman walks away. "Wait!"

"You'll be fine!" She doesn't even look back as she keeps going.

* 

An hour before nightfall Cam walks up to his little temporary home with Vala, and the sight that greets him makes him wish desperately that he had a camera. Vala's in the yard yelling vehemently at a goat while she makes what he thinks is an attempt at milking it. 

"What did that poor thing do to you?" Cam asks, laughter still in his voice. The goat seems tame enough so he gives it a pat between the ears and then motions for Vala to move aside. There's already a bucket in place below the goat, so he squats down and with a couple of tries the milk starts to squirt out, hitting the pail with a tinny sound. 

Vala gapes at him. 

He just grins back up at her. "Summers on my grandparents farm as a kid." 

"Well," she says, realizing that this is something to be pleased about. "Good. You get to do it, then." 

She's about to turn around and go back inside when he speaks again. "Uh, you didn't steal these, did you?" 

"Why, Cameron, I'm offended!" She pouts. "Of course I didn't. They were given to us." 

"Uh huh." Cam is still milking while they talk. "And not from that kid?" 

"No, not from that kid. Though, I would quite like some bacon, perhaps I should see if he has a pig I could borrow..." 

"That's not exactly borrowing if you kill it and eat it." 

She handwaves his voice of reason. "I'd offer to share. Thirty-seventy." 

"I bet you would." He rolls his eyes fondly at her.

She watches him for a moment and then decides she want's to learn. Since the goats seem to be well behaved. "Teach me."

He is a little surprised by her desire to know but doesn't hesitate moving off the stool and letting her take over again. He wants to laugh at the way she's hovering her hands over the large goat teat. "You can't be delicate."

"Easy for you to say. It can hurt to be handled roughly there..." She reaches forward and grips the teats more firmly. her pulling still yields no milk.

"No, like this..." He crouches close behind her, back pressing tight to his chest. His fingers wrap around her hands. They're cool and soft. Cam rests his chin on her shoulder so he can see what he's doing, her hair smells good, like warm sun and sweat with a floral undertone. He swallows hard before speaking. "Start at the top." Is his voice wavering? "Now push your finger tight together." He feels her follow instructions under his touch. "Good. Now pull down."

When milk hits the pail she grins and wiggles with delight. "I did it."

He inhales and catches more of her scent, he needs to back off, but he can't. "Again."

Their hands move in synch as they milk the first goat. The soft movement of her fingers under his hand makes him want to groan. How is it possible to be so soft everywhere?

"Maybe you won't have to do this..." She leans into him more as the first goat starts to empty out. "Bet I can do the next one..."

"You think so?" He can't stop himself from nuzzling her hair away from her ear. His lips accidentally brush the lobe and he can hear her breath quicken. Or was that him? "I'll leave you to it then..."

Vala wants to protest, but Cam has been out working all day long and while she doesn't particularly mind the smell of fresh sweat and earth on his skin she is sure he wants to clean off before bed. Sure before he goes in he starts the process of warming water. 

When she's finished she goes inside with her pail of goat's milk, feeling accomplished. By the time he comes out from the bathroom he looks much more refreshed. "You cooked," he says. 

"Don't sound so surprised. It is my duty as little woman, now isn't it?" 

Cam laughs. "I figured I'd get home and you'd be lounging around. Or have come up with some sort of menu." 

She shrugs. "I got bored." 

She's sort of surprised at herself, because the idea of waiting and making Cam do for himself hadn't actually occurred to her. Maybe, she thinks, it's because it hadn't been something that anyone had told her to do. She isn't entirely opposed to a little generosity and she likes keeping people on their toes. 

And there's also the fact that she'll be living with Cam for who knows how long, and the work he's doing will keep a roof over their head. 

"One of the women I helped at lunch said there's a trade day tomorrow," Vala says. "In the afternoon, people gather their extra crops and things they don't need and form a market." 

Cam frowns. "We don't exactly have much to offer. Maybe some of that fruit?" 

"Ahead of you, dear." Vala points to a basket she'd filled with fruit from the tree, though she'd left them plenty, too.

"I'll trust you to take care of it since I'll be playing farmer." He slumps down at the table as Vala fixes him a plate. "You don't have to do that, baby." He startles himself with the endearment. She doesn't seem to notice.

"You shouldn't complain." She brings both of their plates to the table. "I might be feeding you something inedible."

After a quick taste he knows that he's safe. "It's pretty good."

For a minute she just watches him eat until he looks up at her questioning why she's not with his eyes. "So what do you have to do?"

"I got assigned hoeing new rows for planting. Some of the men had smallish horse type animals to help, but I got a hand device." 

"Sounds hard." She observes him a while and sees him wince as the fork touches his palm, obviously trying to cover it. "You're hurt?"

"It's nothing. Just some blisters." She grabs his hand and examines it. "See no big deal."

"They didn't give you gloves?" She lets her fingers trail around the wounds and frowns at him. "I think there is a salve in the bathroom for this kind of thing." 

Before he can protest she's up and fetching the cream. "Vala..." When she sits back down a few seconds later and takes his hand he smirks. "How am I going to get manly calluses if you put lady cream on my hand?"

"If it gets infected..." She doesn't want to think about it. The medicine here is probably herbs and lore and she doesn't want to chance a fever and putrid sores. "Better to prevent it."

"Cook, nurse, goat herdess... What else will you become?"

"It's always a mystery, Cameron."

It feels good as she puts the cream onto his hand. It's cool, slightly tingly, and soothing. 

He watches her face while she rubs it over his skin, her mouth set in concentration, hair falling from the loose ponytail she's pulled it back into. He can see the smile lines creasing her face, little lines at the corners of her eyes... it makes her look real, not so untouchable, and he feels a sure of gratitude. It's the same feeling that keeps knocking him for a loop, and he knows it probably has as much to do with feeling emotional over being stuck here as anything, but he's glad she's with him. 

She looks up at meets his eyes, smiling at whatever she sees there. "Other hand," she instructs, and gives it the same treatment. "How does it feel?" 

The truth is, she has no idea what's in the hand cream but when Cam says, "I think it's numbing or something," she's doubtful but pleased. She makes a note to ask about medical supplies, maybe something that actually does numb pain. It might be good for Cameron's thighs. 

She smirks a bit at the thought of helping him apply that.

The touch becomes a bit much and he pulls his hand away. "I think that's good. Feels better." He tries to cover up his abrupt removal. "Thanks."

"Got blisters anywhere else?" She can't help but rib on him. The eye roll and exasperated huff make her grin and she gets up and puts the medicine away. 

"This dinner was nice, really nice." He eats some more food, seemingly hungry forever. 

She starts cleaning up when she comes back out, grabbing the butt of the bread and sopping up some juice to munch on while she packs things up. "I'm not sure how to store this..."

"Oh, I know." Cam gets up, finishing what's on his plate before setting it by the sink as he leads her out. "Did you notice how the village is set up in the dog leg of the river?"

"Yeah, just thought that made it easier for everyone to get water..." She follows him to the bank of the river, under a big grove of trees. 

"I found this earlier." He pulls a board up and reveals a hole in the ground. "Put your hand in there."

It's surprisingly cold and it makes her grin goofily. "That's genius. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Too used to convenience."

"If I was on one of those reality shows about living in the old days I'd want you for a partner." She puts the wrapped food into the hole and Cam puts the cover back on.

"The trick is making sure it's covered." He grabs rocks and sets them on the board covering the top. "Don't want animals or dirt getting in. We can put the extra milk in here too." He bumps arms with her as they head back to the house. "That the only reason you'd want to be partnered up with me?"

"You're amusing as well. The way you always blush at me..." 

Cam just laughs. "Sometimes I still can't believe what comes out of your mouth."

"Well, I pride myself on keeping men on their toes," Vala says, primping a little for show. "And women, too." 

"Don't tell me you found a teenage girl to do your bidding, too?" Cam jokes. 

"Bidding? I wasn't aware there were any auctions in town..." Vala is genuinely perplexed. "But she did agree to sew me a couple of outfits if I'd teach her how to braid her hair so it has a bit of curl to it."

It's not exactly the traditional skill set, but Cam has to hand it to Vala for being resourceful. 

"I'll see if she'll make you some extra shirts, too," Vala adds. 

"Hell, if she's that good, it's underwear that I need." Cam feels slightly awkward saying it, just because he could have predicted how it makes Vala's lips curl into a smile. 

"Hmm, yes, I'll add that to the list..." 

Somehow Cam doubts her. 

*

The rest of the evening goes surprisingly fast, between Vala washing up, and their continued clean up job on the house. Just after nightfall Cam is making his bed on the couch. 

Vala peeks her head in. "Sure you don't want the bed?" 

He shakes his head. "I'm good here. It's not that bad." 

That's a lie. It's pretty bad. But when he gets back home, the last thing he wants to have to put on his report is that he slept with Vala Mal Doran - platonic or not, people would assume not.

"If you're sure." It's obvious that it's not comfortable. The way that he winces and cringes as he stretches out. But Vala also knows pushing will just make him dig in more now. They both still have hope and she is familiar with Cam's level of loyalty to his country and to the military and their rules. He's also so concerned about how he appears to the rest of his team. It's what makes him a great leader. He cares. She's lived so long not giving a damn that when someone does it's hard to accept. She just wants him to sleep well, but he's far too chivalrous to take the bed from her even if she offered to swap. 

Cam stifles his groan and pulls his blanket up to his neck, punches his pillow and lets his eyes drift shut. "Night, Princess."

She walks over, blowing out candles and making sure windows get some airflow so the house doesn't get stuffy. His blanket slipped when he adjusted his pillow so she tugs it up and grins. "Goodnight." Her fingers drift on the edge of his hair before she disappears into the bedroom. She'll bathe before climbing in. It's all efficiency and silence as she goes through her bedtime routine. Finally crawling between the blankets a half an hour later.

While his eyes are closed his mind keeps focusing on her fingers. How they felt along his skin and the wistful way she seemed to trace his hairline. It was all of a millisecond but his brain slows it down and he shivers. The sounds of her in the bathroom and then the little noises she makes as her toes touch the cold sheets and her head hits the pillow make him happy. She's so adaptable and he can't help but admire how someone can fit in perfectly no matter where they end up. 

Finally he relaxes enough, muscles still angry, hip throbbing, but he's used to pushing the pain aside. He uses some old techniques and beckons sleep. It finally answers.

*

The next few days are just like the first. Work for them both, a quite lunch together, then back to work for Cam, and home for Vala. 

She's done well getting used to living like this. They're both bronzer from the sun and Cam's blisters are slowly hardening into calluses. Soon he'll be moving to the next field. Then the next, then back to the first for harvesting. Apparently it's a long summer for farm hands. 

Vala's managed to trade a lot of skills for things in the village. She taught trick knot tying to some of the women making it easier to fasten their animals. She made make up and ribbon for hair and now all the women have a charcoal eye shadow and pink lips. Apparently lip gloss is a universal hit. Cam and Vala are in possession of new clothes, and new underwear makes him blush when she gifts it to him on the fourth night.

"And it's not even your birthday." She's sly, "You should model it for me."

"Not in a million years and while it might not be my birthday soon I'd be down to the suit for it." He gets up, groaning as his bones and joints and muscles protest. "Thanks, Vala."

"You should really sleep on the bed with me."

"Giving me intimates, and begging me to share your bed? Coming on a little strong there." He follows it with a yawn, taking any sting out of the words. 

Vala just laughs it off. "Begging? Someone thinks a lot of themselves." 

He stretches out on his 'bed' and looks at her. "It really isn't that bad. I'm getting used to it." 

She doesn't buy that at all. She stands over him, then surprises him by laying down beside him. Her head rests on his chest, because there's nowhere else for it to go, and she wriggles until he scoots a bit. His arm fumbles, raised awkwardly, and then comes to rest over her shoulders. 

"No," Vala says, making her decision after a minute. "No, it is that bad." She sits up, frowning at him. "Go. Bed." 

"I am not sleeping with-" 

"No, you aren't. I'm sleeping here." Vala's stubborn and happens to be in possession of sharp pointy elbows that she isn't afraid to use. She nudges and prods at him until he's almost falling over the edge. At the last minute he rolls to his feet. The second he's off of the couch she sprawls out, grinning at him. "Go on, then. Some of us need our beauty sleep." 

He sighs at her, but decides that just for tonight it isn't worth the fight. He blows out the candle on his way out and gets onto the bed. It's hard to bite back a groan at how nice the more plush mattress feels under him. It's only a few minutes before he's fast asleep.

When morning comes Cam can't move. He's in a lot of pain and the bed is too comfortable, apparently. He tries to roll over on his side and cries out in pain. 

"What's wrong?" Vala's sliding into the room, hand flipping her hair out of her face. "I heard you scream."

"It wasn't a scream." He tries again and lets out another noise, which he will also deny was a scream. 

She kneels next to him on the bed. "Too many nights on that thing they call a couch." Her hands slide down his sides and gently rubs his ribs.

"Would have been fine if you hadn't made me sleep here..." He grumps. "I'm going to be late..." He makes a move to roll again and his hip cramps up and he can feel the tears gather in his eyes. 

"You're not going at all..." Her fingers find the spot that's tight and she starts softly rubbing, pushing his pants out of the way, trying not to notice the place the line of his hip muscle. She can feel all the twitching under her hand and slowly she increases the pressure, making sure to work the whole muscle. "Don't move."

Vala hurries to the kitchen and digs out a root from the box she got from the village women. She cuts off a generous chunk and carries it back with her, along with a glass of water. When she gets back to the bedroom she sees him breathing hard, arm thrown over his eyes. It makes her want to help him even more. He has to be in incredible pain.

"Here. chew on this." She puts the root between his lips. "Don't swallow. When it's pulpy spit it out."

He doesn't question her and does exactly as she says. Her fingers go back to the most painful area of his hip, venturing to his ass, but he doesn't even notice. It just feels better. The root must be working because there is a pleasant numb feeling that surrounds him. 

"Don't go to sleep." She places her hand under his lips. "Spit." He does, and she hands him the glass of water. "Drink all of this."

"Thanks, Vala." She holds his head up to help him consume all of the water. "I still need to try to get to work."

She shakes her head. Her fingers smooth over his hair. "You won't be able to, that's going to make you sleepy and I"m going to turn you and rub out the rest of your knots with the lotion that I got from Threall."

"They're expecting me, Vala." Cam's voice is tight with tension and frustration. "I haven't even been here a damn week, I'm not gonna be that guy." 

"What good do you think you'll be out there right now?" Her tone is matter of fact, not cruel but not pulling any punches. She knows that isn't what he needs. 

"Vala, they are expecting me." 

"Fine," she says. "I'll go tell them not to expect you. You stay right here." 

She moves fluidly off of the bed, knowing in his current condition he could follow her at a stilted hobble at best. She hurries down the road a few homes to one of the men she knows works in the field with Cameron. She explains the situation quickly and, just as she'd expected, he is sympathetic. 

Cam is sitting up when she gets back, trying to get his pants on. She sighs and yanks them out of his hand. "You stupid man." 

He glares at her. 

"Down." She points to the bed, no room for argument in her voice. "No one is expecting you today. Lay down." 

He does, still under protest, but trusting that she will at least help him feel better.

She tugs his shirt off and then demands he tells her exactly where it aches. He complies knowing there is no way out of this. Her fingers are efficient, but there's something else there, too. A soothing caress, a soft lingering touch that lets him know it's not completely something she's doing just to make sure he doesn't miss another day at work, which might jeopardize their living situation. He can feel the underlying something but doesn't want to think about what it is or what it means. 

The root plus her magic hands have made him feel almost one hundred percent. It's like she has a sixth sense for things he's about to do.

"Don't even think about moving." Vala could tell he was about to try to flip over. "I'm going to help you onto your right side so I can really get your left hip." They work together and with minimal pain manage to get him laying on his side, head propped on a pillow and Vala's pushing his pants lower still. 

"Hey, there..." Things might not be at full alert but the little guy that's hiding right now has been a bit interested and he'd prefer if she never finds that out. He hadn't even noticed much until the threat of exposure. "Keep it PG."

"It's not a big deal, I've seen it all before." She goes back to moving the fabric, but he's adamant. 

His fingers tighten on the waist band. "I'd rather not." Her fingers rub up and down his bicep and he can tell he's won, this time. She doesn't actually give him words that indicate she's giving up but she doesn't try any more to de-pants him and goes back to doing what she can on exposed skin and what she can reach under the waist band. 

Vala watches him as he feels safe again, knowing she won't push tonight, and drifts off to sleep again. The root and the scent of the lotion she's using make him drowsy but when he's asleep the healing increases. She keeps rubbing until he's snoring then she pulls the blanket over him and goes to get ready. 

Before she runs out she sets two glasses of water and a few rolls and fruit on the night stand. She gives him one last look before she races out the door, knowing she'll be just a little late, but not too bad.

* 

When he wakes up, Cam is less miserable physically but a great deal more so mentally. He's only slept for a few hours and his body could use more rest but his mind won't cut him that sort of slack. 

He needs to be working, not sitting on his ass. Being stuck in bed, being unable to perform his duties - it grates on him. He's capable of being up and moving now and he's sure Vala intended on him waiting around all day but he decides not to. He drinks down the water and grabs the fruit and one of the rolls after changing into work clothes and heads out the door.

The men are surprised to see him in the field but he can also see grudging respect that he'd wake up ill and still come to do his share of the work load. 

Vala's even more surprised to see him when the men start to approach for lunch. She looks like she's about to leave herself - probably, he realizes, to go home and check on him - but when she sees him she stops. "Cameron!" 

Yeah, he's in trouble now. She hurries over to him and glares. 

"Hi, honey," Cam says, leaning forward and kissing her cheek. It's for show; they need the pretense of husband and wife, or at least coupled pair. 

She isn't impressed. "It's just going to be worse in the morning," she says. 

"I need to do my job, Vala." 

Her voice lowers to a hiss. "You need to be able walk when we escape." 

He flinches, and she knows that one did some damage. The women are starting to serve the men now so she puts down the small armful of food she'd been planning on taking to him, thinking he was in their bed, and goes to get him some of the stew that the other men are eating.

She helps him sit by a large, shady tree to eat and can tell he tries his best not to show pain as he settles in but can't. "I can't believe you..."

"Vala..." How to make her understand. "I have to keep you safe. That means going to this job every day. No matter what."

"You can't keep me or you safe if you can't walk." She tries to calm down but it's nearly impossible. She's so angry. "There's no fancy doctors here, no magical medical machines... There's herbs and creams and cold soaks in the river."

He lets his head fall back against the rough bark. "I know that."

"Do you? Because you're living on the edge of danger here. You've already been hurt, very badly. It's not like you're young and can do anything you want. Plus you're not work in a field fit. You're field work fit. It's a lot different."

He doesn't reply, not wanting to make her any more mad and not wanting to give into her either. So he just quietly eats the food. They have a bit of time before he'll head back.

There are a few things Cam doesn't do well. Not many, but a few that Vala's noticed over the years. Sword fight, well it was respectable, but not to the perfection he likes to do other things. He dislikes leaving things unsettled. Vala can understand that one but is willing to give up and run if that's a better option. He gets cranky when she notices the messy papers on his desk-pointing out how unorganized he is with paperwork when the rest of his life is so pin straight. 

There are also little ticks, like rechecking the packs a million times before going off world and always making sure that everyone was prepped and ready to leave. She also knows that admitting he can't, especially if it's due to his injury, drives him wonko. 

"You're going to go back out, aren't you?" Vala just stares at him, looks him in the eyes, worry seeping from her gaze. "Before you answer, know that I'd really prefer that you didn't."

The amount of concern in her look actually startles him. "You really need me to go home?"

"What do you think I've been talking about this whole time?" Vala whacks him with the back of her hand on his shoulder. "Stupid man. Yes. Go home. Soak in the tub, chew on more root and drink extra water. I'll be there in a bit and give you a project you can do from bed." At his happy look she gives him more warning. "After I rub your thigh and make sure you can function for it without pain."

He knows that she's bribing him, essentially, and part of him is offended at being treated like a child but - even the couple of hours he had put in is killing him. 

He'd really thought she'd understand that it was a matter of pride, of needing to prove to the people that gave them a roof to put over their heads, that he'll take the responsibilities they give him seriously. That's part of keeping Vala safe; it's also part of his own sanity in this situation. 

The decision is made for him when one of the shift leaders comes over and has a word with Vala. Whatever he says makes Vala's mouth curve in a triumphant smile. Cam understands what's happening without having to hear it; he's being relieved of duty... temporarily, he hopes. 

* 

Once he's finished eating and been addressed again by Vala and the shift leader, he does exactly what he's been ordered to do and goes back home. He's limping by the time he gets there, thigh spasming wildly from having to kneel and rise so much on worn out joints and bones held together by pins. He finds the root that Vala had left out and goes through the same process as that morning, chewing and spitting, following it with water. 

He changes into the softer sleep clothes and drops down onto the bed. 

That's the sight Vala is greeted with an hour or two later when she comes in. She'd stayed behind to help clean up after the midday meal, as an apology for being late that morning. They'd tried to coax her into staying longer but once she'd said Cam was ill from injuries back at home they'd quickly let her go. 

She studies him, trying to decide what would be best, and then takes it upon herself to run him a warm bath. She lets the water heat for longer than either of them usually bother and pour a small vial of something Relac had given her that she'd been told would also help sooth bone aches. Even if it's medicinal purposes are questionable, it does smell nice... she saves a bit in the vial and stoppers it so she can use it later in a bath of her own. She might not have ever shattered any bones in her life, but she's still sore. 

When the bath is ready she creeps back into the bedroom. "Cameron... wakey, wakey..." she sings out.

He stirs a little and the groan she hears tells her it's a good thing that he is at home. "Come on, time for that bath."

"'Kay..." He grunts as he rolls. "Never thought you'd be dragging my ass around the house."

"You like it, don't lie." She tries to patch up his pride from earlier, but knows that it was for his own good. "I'll get you in the tub."

"Whoa, whoa... Think I got that covered." He wants his dignity. For some reason the thought of her seeing him naked and a bit broken makes him uneasy. He still wants to feel like the big strong man for her. No matter how old fashioned that might sound. 

"I'll close my eyes."

"No you won't."

"I won't, but I'll pretend I did..." Vala giggles as his heavy sigh. "Come on. I just want to make you feel better."

He mutters about how good she could make him feel, but not loud enough for her to understand. 

"What did you say?" She checks the water and turns to give him approval. "Pants off, mister."

"You out." He's sticking to his guns on this one. Vala is a teammate, a partner, SGC operative. He will not get into this with her. He knows what he'll end up wanting. He cannot have that. No matter what. They have to work together. 

She frowns and folds her arms in disappointment. "No fun."

"Out."

The water is nice and he stays in until it cools, scrubbing himself down with the strong smelling soap though he hasn't really done much during the course the day to dirty himself. 

He towels off and dresses in just the pants and then hobbles back into the bedroom. Vala's already sitting at the headboard, eyes on the magazine she's already read countless times. She's got some paper beside her and he realizes she's making notes on it. 

"Make up colors," she says to sate his curiosity, smiling at him before putting it aside. "Now, are you ready to play patient?" 

She's got that shark in the water smile again but whatever she'd done that morning had helped, so... 

"Fine," he says. 

She claps, way too happy over something causing him this much pain. "Pants off." 

Since he's wearing the longer, more modest shorts that she'd acquired for him this time he agrees. "They stay on," he says, voice firm. 

"Fine." She sighs, but sets to work and half an hour later he's putty in her hands. She manages to work most of the tension out, and that combined with the painkilling root and some of the same cream she'd used on his blisters before leave him tingling and refreshed. When she's done she wipes her hands on the towel and sits back. "You can't sleep on that wooden monstrosity anymore." 

He wants to argue, but at this point it isn't really worth it. He'll wait and open that can of worms when he's feeling better. For the night, not wanting to risk aggravating his injuries, he has no intention of it. 

"And neither can I," she announces. 

"Vala!" He's practically shouting. 

"What are you going to do, kick me out?" She mocks him, hopping up and going to fetch her blanket and pillow back off of the couch. "Trust me, darling, your virtue is safe. I don't prey on the injured."

He must have had some Vala voodoo cast on him because he can't find the energy or desire to argue. They're both adults, right? He yawns and glances at her. Nothing in that gleam gives him complete comfort that she doesn't prey on the injured. 

"Just don't kick me." That makes her smile, something he hasn't witnessed in a few days. A big, beautiful grin. 

"Don't worry." She goes back to her notes on makeup colors and then cross references to a list of flowers, herbs and plants that make colors in the area they're in. 

"You're really working hard on that." He reaches out and taps the paper with his finger. His arm is heavy and relaxed and it falls after a moment tracing the edge of her waist and thigh. 

She pats his hand. "You'd be surprised how popular it is in a place that's basically been without. Apparently it was very popular among the men folk..." She winks.

"Men are wearing it, too?"

That makes her laugh, hard and loudly. "No, Cameron. They sure did love it on their wives though..."

"Oh..." He feels himself heating up with blush. "I see..."

"You're too used to it. Doesn't work on you now." She still has her hand covering his and lets her thumb trace along his wrist and thumb. She's not really thinking about doing it, but the water and soaps made his skin soft and it feels nice under the pad of her thumb. 

"Not completely immune..."

"Just mostly." She finally sees what her fingers are doing when she catches Cam staring at their joined hands. She pulls away and goes back to her research. "Maybe you'll like this homemade variety better."

"Probably." If only because she made it.

"So what else you got going on?" Cam knows she's been wheeling and dealing, and he's seen the remnants of her afternoons work the past couple of days but hasn't really asked for much of an explanation yet. 

"I'm thinking of making some scents, too," she says. "One of the younger women took me on a walk to where a few different kinds of flowers grow, and I think I could produce some nice oils from them along with the makeup. They can also use it to scent their shampoo - which, frankly, I'm only teaching them to do because I'm so bored with what they have to offer here." 

Cam laughs. He wouldn't have expected anything less. 

"I'll probably need a testing subject," she adds, like it's an afterthought." 

"Nuh uh, you're not putting that stuff on me!" He scowls. 

She laughs. "Cameron, if you aren't careful I'll begin to think you have a fetish. I didn't mean wear it; just smell it. Tell me which scents you like more."

"... oh. Blame the meds on that?" 

"I don't think roots exactly cause those sorts of side effects, but I suppose you can get away with it once," she decides. "And I'll assume that's a yes."

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Cam says. "Maybe after that you can work on making some deodorant, cause whew, some of those guys could use it." 

"Yes..." Vala says dryly. "I've noticed."

"Me too." Cam's proud of her. For taking a roll that didn't really fit her and making it work. She's turned 'woman's' work and made it fun for her. He finds that pride makes him smile all silly because she's giving him a look. "What?"

She just shakes her head. "Deodorant make you that happy?" She flips the page and continues her notes.

"Yeah, you don't understand how horrible it is." He just shrugs and shifts a bit, feeling much better. Of course, as soon as he's moving pain makes him grunt. 

Vala drops what she's doing and checks on him. "Don't move."

"Gotta. It's uncomfortable being in the same position all the time." He smirks at her. "'Sides it's nice to see you worry over me."

"Don't get used to it. Especially if you're going to abuse the privilege like that." She starts rubbing where she saw him cramping up and can feel it soothing under her palm.

"You're hands feel good." He sure wishes he hadn't already used the drugs as an excuse because he knows it won't work now. Maybe if he just ignores that he said it? "Maybe I'll be ready to work again in the morning."

"Not if I say you aren't." Vala feels bad for him, she hates being idle, too. "The foreman guy gave me leave to decide when you're able to come back. He said something along the lines of men should listen to their incredibly gorgeous wives. I forgave him for not knowing I was more than enough woman for you and you wouldn't need more. Also the fact that we aren't really married, I left that out, too."

"So good of you to cover for us." Cam enjoys how entertaining she is, even when she doesn't mean to be. "He called you 'incredibly gorgeous'?"

"I am paraphrasing." She shoots a sly smile his way and then pops out of bed. "Going to make supper, you rest."

"Not much choice..."

* 

By the next morning, Cam really is feeling better. It's another argument to get to leave, since Vala enjoys having control over it quite a bit more than she really should. He agrees to only work a half day and help her in their own garden the rest of the day, and she allows that. 

His body is recovering but his mind just has hours to think about how he's not quite as capable as he'd always assume he'd be. He'd read the mission reports of Jack O'Neill trapped on that planet for over a month, and O'Neill hadn't written about being so sore he couldn't move after less than a week of honest work. 

If Vala were able to hear his thoughts - if any of his team could - they'd point out that Jack O'Neill hadn't gone through nearly the injuries or hospitalization Cam had, but no one is there to argue the case for him. By the time he makes it back to the town center for meal time, he's quiet and sullen. 

Vala notices but she's too busy helping serve to go to him right away. When she's finally able, she plops down in front of him with the sort of grin that no man can usually resist. "Would you like in on a secret, Cameron?" 

He glances up at her, smiling to indulge her. "What is it?" 

"There's pie!" She's excited - a dozen or so pies, enough for each person to have a slice, all cooling in the central cooking area that they use. "I might try and steal one just for us." 

"Vala," Cam says, warning her. "Don't."

She sticks her tongue out at him. "Don't you want pie?" 

"If I want pie, I'll make pie." 

She huffs and goes back to eating the fish in front of her. "It's supposed to rain later." 

"That so?" He murmurs. 

She realizes he's less than talkative so she fills the meal with chatter, and when it's over she gets them both pie. Cam only has a few bites of his, pushing it over to her to finish. "I know," she tsks, though he hasn't actually said anything. "It's not nearly as good as mine, is it?"

"Of course not." Cam tries to muster a smile for her. "And even if it was I'm not dumb enough to tell you that. Don't want the source of pie to suddenly dry up."

He's a smart man sometimes. She polishes off her piece and then picks his up. At first she eats small bites then she starts offering him forkfuls of it. He's eating it for her without thinking about it and so she continues to share until it's gone.

The day is warm but the breeze is nice and the tree they're under makes for a perfect spot. "I just want to lay back and nap now." Vala yawns, stretches and flops onto her back to close her eyes for a minute.

Her arm is cradled next to him in a lush patch of grass and Cam brushes away some flower from just below the inside of her elbow. Goosebumps form behind his touch and he watches in fascination as his finger sweeps down to her wrist with the tiny bumps marking his path. He hears her suck in a breath but doesn't stop. His finger starts tracing the veins and soft hairs on her arm, enjoying the soft texture under the pad of his finger. 

Vala wants to have more, her whole body is responding to the oh so light caress on her arm, nipples puckering, thighs squeezing together ever so slightly. She knows if she moves he'll stop and right now there is nothing she wants more than for him not to stop. She tries to keep her breathing even but as his finger slides up the crook of her elbow she lets out a tiny moan. Hid hand pulls back as if she's burned him and she opens her eyes to see him staring at his traitorous hand. 

"That was nice." Her voice is husky to her own ears. "You can keep-"

"No, I can't." His mood was improving. But now he's just thinking about things that he can't have on top of his deficiencies because of his injury. How he'll never be as good as Jack O'Neill in more than one way. He managed to keep his hands off and do his damn job. Why can't Cam be that kind of guy?

There is a silence, the uncomfortable sort, as they both work out what to do or say. Vala feels warm and wanton and she gets up. "I'm going to go help clean up. You go home, chew some root, take a nap and we'll garden when you wake up."

He just nods and gets up, moving out of there quickly, hoping that no one can see how heated his cheeks are or the lump in the front of his pants.

*

He doesn't nap, but he rests and it's enough to pass Vala's inspection. 

She's taken the hint that he's not feeling particularly chatty and for once doesn't push it. They work together as well as they always do, planting a few more rows. 

"Whoever has this place after us oughta send us a fruit basket," Cam says, the first words spoken in about an hour. 

Vala smiles, but she doesn't agree. 

She can't lie to him, but she can't speak the truth on her mind, either. 

She's not sure they'll make it off this planet at all. She's never really held out much hope for that, but it's only been a week and Cam has no room for realism in his mind right now. She understands that. 

She thinks that she'll be bored on this planet, but she'll survive. Part of her even embraces it; there's no drama here, no adventure, but there's also no one that wants to kill her, rape her, control her mind or body. No one looks at her with hate or betrayal in their eyes. She is unknown, not judged for her own past crimes or someone else's cruelties. 

And she's not alone here. She's got someone with her - maybe not the person she'd have chosen if she'd been given the choice, but she's sort of glad she wasn't because she thinks after weeks of close quarters with Daniel she'd have just wanted to strangle him. Cameron doesn't make her feel like that. 

Though she might strangle him if he doesn't stop working himself so hard, just to force him to take another break. She goes over to their little cooling spot and pulls out a curved pitcher of juice, freshly squeezed from some citrus fruits she'd bartered for. She forces him to drink a mug of it sitting down and when he's done announces she's going to need a bath and he can be in charge of running the water. 

He knows it's just her way of keeping him from doing any more work outside, and he lets her win a few battles. They're learning the art of compromise with each other.

He puts some yam type roots into their oven before he goes to start the water for her. He slips in some of that stuff for her that he soaked in for his muscles, knowing how Vala likes the scent. When it's full and hot he turns off the spigot and goes out to get her. 

The sun is kissing at the horizon and she's still tending to their garden. "I didn't ever think of you of someone who'd be great with plants..." He observes as he offers his hands to help her up.

She presses her palm to his and he pulls her up. "I learned as a small child. I was always out helping mom with her garden." She looks around and squints into the orange sunset. "I didn't realize it was getting so late."

"You're full of hidden talents." 

Vala looks at him with confusion and then remembers the gardening. "You have no idea." With a wink they head in with her leading the charge. "I'll let you discover them one by one."

"Oh, boy..."

"Is my bath water ready?" She pulls off her shirt as they get in and turns to get her answer, he's staring at her, mouth gaping. "Cameron?"

"What?" He shakes it off. Her perfect form with that tight fitting bra, dip of her back, swells of her breasts as they push at the top, it's making him angry at himself that he can't control anything here. 

"Bath water? I want to take a bath..."

"Yeah" He runs his palm over his face. "Yeah it's ready. I must be more tired than I thought." He's gonna have to come up with better excuses.

"'Kay. Gonna go clean up." She smiles big to herself as she heads into the bathroom, stripping down the rest of the way as she goes.

* 

Cam's leg continues to get better, and his other problem continues to get worse. 

It takes him about a week to realize that Vala's doing it on purpose. She's teasing him. The touches, the innuendo, the wandering around half naked, leaving the door open while she bathes, taking advantage of the pretense of marriage in public to drape herself over him... 

She's doing it on purpose, and it pisses him off. 

Vala's aware of the growing tension. She should feel bad for teasing him like she does, but he's outlawed all less than appropriate forms of entertainment (swindling, conning, stealing) so she's left with limited options.

She is behaving, by her own standards. She's bored, and she'd like someone to play with. She'd like it to be Cam. She knows she gets stares from the other men in town. She looks different from the women here; not many of them have her pale skin and black hair. Their complexions are rougher from lack of skincare products and long days spent in the sun since childhood. The hair ranges from sun-kissed blonde to dirty brown, not as healthy as Vala's. She wears her dresses a little too high on the leg and cut too low, and uses the makeup she's hand crafting to accentuate her best assets. 

She's exotic, something different for the men of this town. She doesn't tell Cameron about the eyes on her, the hasty propositions that she declines with a smile and a wink just to keep them confused. She knows he doesn't appreciate what she's doing toying with him, but if he thought she were doing that with anyone else he'd appreciate it even less. 

Sometimes she wishes that he'd stop and have a moment of respect for her self-control. She's remaining faithful in a marriage that isn't even real, which is more than she can say for most of her actual marriages. She's treating this like a partnership, and she'd really like to cash in on some of the obvious benefits of that and find some sort of way to release the tension that doesn't involve her own hand slipping between her legs in a cooling tub of bathwater or sliding fingers into herself during a midday break, getting off on the fact that she's laying on the sheets in the same spot that Cam sleeps on. 

But he has no idea the sort of patience she's having with him, and shows no appreciation. His temper is getting shorter and shorter the more times she catches his eyes on her, his anger irrational and growing.

That doesn't make her quit. It should, it most definitely should. If her brain worked like a normal person she'd ease up at least. But not Vala. She starts talking just a little too close, breathing hot air against his ear, giggling at things softly and leaning her body into his. Gestures that are necessary for her survival but detrimental to his. The rage that's resting just below the surface tempts her. She wants it. She wants him to share it with her. It's nothing she's wanted before, normally the wrath of her "husband" was something she tried to avoid. 

Not now, though. She ponders why she's doing this to him, but no good answer reveals itself. So she keeps pushing.

*

"Cameron?" 

Her voice is a smokey whisper from the bedroom. He cringes and shivers at the same time. He aches, physically aches, from her menacing teasing. He grits his teeth before he replies. "Yeah?"

"Come look at this."

What he finds sends his blood into a rolling boil and he clenches his fist, digging his nails into his palm. He keeps pressing wanting, needing, that control. She's standing there in high cut panties and a low cut bra. "Vala..." Her name is a angry growl almost lost in the breath he takes to try to regain some modicum of ability to resist the urge to toss something - probably her - across the room.

"I made them. The women in the village helped me. I described it to them and they helped me." She does a twirl around, catching a glimpse of his face. It's red and tense and she's afraid suddenly that she's finally gone too far. "Think they are going to start making them all for themselves too."

He swallows, hard, and tries to find an appropriate reply. "Wonderful."

"Isn't it?" Vala gives a little twirl. 

"I said it was. Now put some clothes on." He turns and walks away, walks outside. The air helps clear his mind and right now stabbing into the ground feels pretty damn good. 

The traders come in three days. 

In three days they'll be able to find out where the Stargate is. 

(Not if there's one, no if in Cam's mind, there can't be an if, because an if means he'll have to change the plan from get back home to make this your home, and he's just not ready. He'll never be ready for that.) 

He doesn't come back in until nightfall. Vala's made dinner and she's dressed again, thankfully. His temper has been soothed and they talk; really talk, share things about their day. They know more people in the village now, and Vala's little adventures in commerce have provided them with enough to keep them comfortable. 

He listens while she chatters on with town gossip and adds some of his own. For a few hours there is peace, and they fall back into place with each other... and then it's night and he gets into bed and she gets in on the other side and they're still not talking about this. They just do it - sleep, side by side - but they don't talk about it and if sometimes in the morning they wake up a little too close to each other, they definitely don't talk about that, either. 

If sometimes he wakes up cuddled behind her with his arms around her... or sometimes she wakes to find her head resting on his chest, his warm hand splaying against her back... they don't talk about it. She'll never say how she pretends to be asleep just so that it lasts longer, and he'll never admit that sometimes he thinks of the softness of her skin pressed to his when he takes himself in hand in the little bathroom early in the mornings.

*

The men in the fields are almost as excited as he is about the messenger. They all chatter about the family in neighboring villages, letters and packages they're expecting. Things they have to send on. Cam asks them about the Stargate, the Chappa'ai, but not one of them knows what he's on about. Even descriptions don't bring on any recognition in any of their faces. He's still hopeful. The men that are messengers have seen more than anyone else. 

"You will know when they are here if what you want exists on this planet."

Cam just nods. "Could always find a way to process rocket fuel..."

"What is this?" 

The man looks completely thrown for a loop and Cam just shakes his head. "It's just an alternate way for us to get home."

"You should not want to leave. You and your woman are doing well here, fitting in well." He grins. "Plus Vala is good to look at."

A slight bubble of rage closes his throat for a minute and he swallows it down. She's his. Even if she's not, she's still his. But that's not the culture here. Men compliment each others wives all the time. He's seen older men with younger women, barely not children and the reverse can be done as well. Some important men have more than one wife and the head women can take more husbands, even if that's not the case right now. Apparently it was a love match and that's why they lead as a singular unit. 

Cam musters a thanks, as quickly as he can but he's still given a look because of the hesitation. "She's pretty nice alright." He tacks on the end and that seems to make it better. 

*

Vala is with women earlier than normal and instead of cooking most of the time she's doing hair, perfuming the ones that lack the desire to bathe as often, putting make up on ones that desire an afternoon tumble and just making everyone laugh as she circles the group. 

She really enjoys it, of all the parts of her day her mornings with the other women might be the most entertaining. It can get overwhelming everyone scrambling for her services but she's glad to be useful. They encourage her to prepare more stock of her things to send with the messengers. Send some samples on to the next town, open up a trade route. They send her home early to begin making enough.

*

When Cam walks into town he automatically scans for Vala, but she's no where to be found. He's still on mornings only and has been told by the foreman that it will remain that way for awhile. It's a little embarrassing at first but he finds that it's making him stronger at a slower pace and instead of breaking him it's giving him endurance. He's not moving as slowly or painfully, but Vala's massages mixed with the root and hot soaks seemed to have made the majority of the discomfort melt away. 

Now the massages are making a new problem. He can't help but become hard every time she digs those strong, lithe fingers into his hips and back. No matter how often he insists that he's good she's determined to soothe his muscles. 

One of the women must notice his confusion. "She's gone home, we sent her."

"She's okay?" Vala doesn't normally cut out and it worries him.

"Yes, making things for the trading with the messengers."

Cam makes an oh sound and settles down for lunch. One of the women serves him in place of his own "wife" and she smiles prettily. Cam just returns it until she winks. That catches him off guard and she giggles. He watches as she goes back to her friends and can hear the giggles and see how their cheeks turn pink with blush. Oh lord... Not having Vala here apparently opens him up for all kinds of invitations.

There's no reason to linger today so Cam eats his food, collects a plate full for Vala and heads back.

It's sort of funny to him how despite the quaint, low-tech feel of the village... it's actually sort of similar to back home. People still work the same way; flirting and coupling up, fighting and fucking. There are still thieves and swindlers, people who want the most reward for doing the least work, people that would work themselves to the bone just because they think that's what they're meant to do. 

It's a comfort and a disappointment at the same time. He puts it out of his mind, though; everyone is in a good mood right now and it's sort of contagious. 

"Hey, honey, I'm home," he calls out once he's back at their little cabin-like home. He doesn't really know if Vala gets the reference, but she usually smiles indulgently, like she finds it sort of charming. "Brought you food." 

"Food!" That always gets her attention. 

She's got her different pots of coloring and creams and potions spread out all over their table, so he takes the food into the kitchen instead part of the room instead. She follows him eagerly. "Did you eat already?" 

"Yeah, I ate while I was there. Here, dig in, I'm gonna go get some of that milk." He heads outside to the little spot that they keep things to store them so they can stay cool. There's not that much left; the goats will need to be milked again if they want something with breakfast. He brings the pitcher inside and splits it between them. "Still don't think this tastes like cow's milk." 

He makes a little face. She keeps telling him that it's all in his head, but he longs for a nice gallon of Luvel straight from the freezer section of the grocery store. And maybe a box of lucky charms to pour into it... 

She polishes off the plate of food. "Come on then," she announces. "I'm putting you to work." 

He lifts an eyebrow at her. "That so? I thought I'd do some weeding." 

"It can wait," she says. "This can't, if I want to be finished by tomorrow." 

He sits down at the table with her and lets her show him how to make a few basic lip tints. He's sort of impressed by how much skill goes into it, but it's not that hard to catch onto. 

Vala glances at him, clearly hesitating before she says something. "What is it?" He prompts her. 

"We should make a list," Vala says. "Of supplies we need, for the traders." 

Cam doesn't say anything back for a minute. "For the hike to the Stargate?" 

He doesn't think that's what she means. 

It isn't. "No... for this. Us." She gestures around them. "Just in case."

"Just in case?" He's angry. Irrationally so. But his good mood leaves him instantly at the thought of them not getting a way out. "Vala, there is no 'just in case' we're gonna find the gate and get out. Go home." He goes to push away and tips one of her colors. The pinkish oily substance trickles out and Vala grabs it and rights it.

"Be careful." She tries to remain calm. Escalating to his level of rage would be a mistake. Both of them can be hot tempered but normally she's good at controlling it. Better than he is despite his constant outward appearance that he's got it all locked up. "That's hard to make..."

"You really don't think we're-"

"No." She rests her hand on his arm and flinches as he jerks away from her. "I-I think that if there was a Stargate on this planet it wouldn't be unknown to anyone living on it. It's a giant structure with magical properties. That's just not something that's a well kept secret..."

"They don't see any use for it. Or don't understand it. So it's unimportant." Cam tries to find a reason why. One that might hold water. "You don't know that there isn't one."

She wants to cry for him. It used to feel like that to her, too. Impossibly crushing when she became stranded somewhere, never knowing when or if she'd get out. But over the years, the many long years, she'd become accustomed to finding her own way. Blazing her own trail. Making a new life over and over. She can see the fear and panic in him. 

"You're right. I don't. There probably will be. I'm just being silly..." She reaches for him again, gently, slowly. Wanting to calm his ire. "We'll get home. You won't be stuck here with me forever."

He hears the way she says "me" hears the tone, the underlying angst behind not feeling wanted. "It's not you. You're the only one keeping me sane."

"And the only one driving you over the edge..." It's the first acknowledgement of this thing between them.

He huffs and slumps down on the couch. Plenty of space between himself and the table of her ingredients. "No... no... Maybe..." He gives her a small smile. "Sorry about your pink..."

Settling next to hims she leans against him and rests her cheek on his shoulder. "I can make more." Her hand rubs his back, trying to keep soothing his temper. "We'll find a way home. Stargate or not."

"You won't ever give up, will you?"

"I never have before. Just settle and wait. Sometimes it's all you can do." Vala pats his thigh, squeezes his neck and goes back to her assembly line. "It's not so bad here. We're pretty lucky."

"Not so bad..." His voice is just an echo of hers, lacking the promise of tone. 

He watches her go, missing the brief warmth of her beside him. He watches her when she sits at the table and keeps mixing things, adding in some sort of powdered something until they start to firm into gels or harder. He watches without pretending he isn't watching and she doesn't say anything at all, just looks up every now and then and meets his gaze and smiles. 

* 

They come in caravans, setting up camp just outside of town. There are almost two dozen people, more men than women, but some children, too. 

They come into town the first night for the feast everyone has been preparing for. There's no business the first night, only celebration, and it grates on Cam that he has to wait to ask but they've been well versed in the proper etiquette. 

Vala's trying to get him to relax. He's well aware that she keeps pushing drinks into his hand, and she stays by his side. He thinks of what she's said earlier, that they're lucky to be here, and comes to the conclusion that if they're only here another day, he might as well try to enjoy it. 

So he drinks whatever she foists upon him and the tension starts to melt and twist away. She sticks close by, cuddling against him and then into him when he slides an arm over her shoulders. She's wearing a pretty dress, sewn by someone else but dyed by Vala herself. She's the most colorful thing out here, pink and purple swirling on the fabric, gloss on her lips and hair smelling like flowers. 

It's only when he stands to go get more punch (Vala's request) and the world tilts a little that he thinks he may have had too much. But then warm arms slide around his waist and he's being hugged from behind and it's nice. He covers her arm with his own and squeezes her hand briefly. "Yeah?" 

"Cake, too," she leans up to whisper in his ear. "Pleaaaase?" 

"No pie?" He teases. 

"Pie later. Cake now." She hugs him again, a burst of pressure around him, and then slips back away. He heads to where the food is piled on long tables and gets more; two kinds of cake, fruit, more of the delicious and deceptive drink. 

She's wandered off to talk to someone else so he sits down and puts the plate on the seat beside him. There are benches all over, low to the ground and carved from fallen trees. Cam kind of likes them, thinks his father would; they look rustic but they're surprisingly comfortable, room for three or four on some but only two on the one they've chosen. 

He doesn't bother looking for Vala. She'll come back for the cake and the drink soon enough.

She spends time mingling. Not technically talking trade, but showing off the wares she can produce just by sparkling in their presence. Compliments aren't new to her and she knows how to take them and make it look like she's shy and innocent. The men like that, she's come to expect certain reactions from them all and rarely is she disappointed. They flirt, provincially, but she can still recognize it and she eats it up. It's so easy on this planet. She grins as someone offers her a drink. She looks over at Cam before taking it and sees him staring at her. His eyes are unreadable from the distance but the fire flickers in the deep black of his pupils. 

"No, thanks." She winks and heads over to her man. The one that's been assigned to her by fate and circumstance. She bites her lower lip as she approaches and gives a half smile. She thinks about any other member of the team. How it would be here with them and she knows this is the only thing that's just right. "I came to drink my punch and eat my cake..."

He holds the plate for her as she settles back in. "You doing business on a night for pleasure only?" He hands her the cake and she takes a generous bite. Her moan of delight sends shivers down his spine and it must be obvious because of the look on her face. That predatory, no one can stop me, look that he shouldn't know about. But he does and... He likes it. 

"Business... Pleasure... All the same when you do it right." She eats some more. "This is really good." Her fork portions another piece and she holds it up to him. Cam takes it, closing his eyes and letting the sensation of the sugary cake mix with the heady buzz from the alcohol. 

He just nods after he swallows and slowly opens his eyes. Her face is perfection, so soft looking, so pale. "I'm going to have a headache tomorrow." He's surprised he's still coherent enough to know that. 

"Nu-uh. Just chew a bit of that root before bed. Works for hangover prevention as well." She feels a lock of hair slip over her face and before she can shake it away his fingers are brushing along her temple to put it back. "Thanks."

"What if there's no gate?" Drunk and scared. What a great combo...

"Thought that wasn't an option." She just feeds him more cake. 

Cam shrugs. "Wasn't before but tonight I feel different."

"You feel drunk."

"'S not that..." He pouts and she giggles at him which turns his frown into a grumpier one. "It's not!"

"It's not huh?" Does she want to know? "What is it then?" In for a nickel, or whatever Earth currency you go in for, in for a pound.

He scrunches his forehead and stares into the high flames of the fire. "Dunno."

"You just don't want to tell me."

He hums a bit, sort of to himself, before sighing. "Nope."

"Then what do you want?" For a moment the rest of the crowd fades away and it's just the two of them, her voice soft and sweet in his ear. 

She tastes like cake. 

Vala tastes like cake. 

And Cam knows this, because he's kissing her. Because she asked what he wanted and suddenly he knew, and he was leaning forward, just taking it without stopping to think about it. 

His tongue swipes over her lower lip and it's a surprise to both of them that he's the one deepening the kiss but she's ready, eager and opening to his advances. She fumbles the plate down onto the ground, letting it fall the last couple of inches without caring, and lazily puts her arms over his shoulders. It's not a tight embrace but it anchors them together and Cam likes it. He likes everything about this, the smooth enamel of her teeth and the way her tongue slides along his and the hitch in her breath. 

He isn't even the one that pulls away. That's her, because as nice as this is she knows that it's more desperation than desire right now. He wants her, absolutely - but he's not ready to give up yet and she might not have any hope for herself but she has hope that he'll get what he needs, this way home. And if he does (if they do) then this will have been a mistake. 

Vala's impatient, but she's not stupid. She can wait a few more days for this. She thinks they won't find a Stargate, and she knows if they don't that he'll fall apart, and she needs him to not be angry at her when he does. She needs to be stronger for him, though she'd never say that to him, knowing how it would just add to the injury. 

She eases out of it, though. She doesn't want this to be a rejection. She presses soft little kisses to his lips and she smiles, keeps smiling, smiles and looks him right in the eye and touches her hand to his face (warm skin, stubble, oh god) and then reaches up to caress her fingers through his hair. He dips into the touch like a puppy wanting to be petted. 

"I want that, too," she whispers.

"You do?" He knows that she desires him, likes sex, wants to get more physical. But just kisses, does she want those? 

"Mmm." She mumbles and kisses his chin before standing and stretching. "You should go mingle more." 

Cam reaches for her hand as it falls to her side, plays with the tips of her fingers. "Don't wanna talk to anyone else."

His words are slurring and maybe it's best if she takes him home. "I'll go make our excuses and we can go home."

"To bed..." He drags her fingers to his lips and kisses the tips, licking lightly over her pointer.

Vala leans closer to his ear, places a soft kiss right in front of it, and whispers, "Yes, to sleep." She laughs at his grumble. "Big day tomorrow."

"Want you." 

She really doesn't want to insult him but she having to be the responsible one is a role reversal she's not sure that she's ready to handle. "It's best to let it simmer..."

"Minx." He stands, not relinquishing her hand, linking their fingers more, grounding himself as his palm flattens against hers. "I'll say goodbye to everyone with you."

They make their way around and after a short amount of time Vala is leading them both back to their house. It's hard to see, darkness coats the road and the fire behind them makes vision even more difficult. He moves her closer and loops his arm around her shoulder, not releasing her hand. The side of his palm presses into the fleshy beginnings of her breast and it makes him moan, but he manages to lock most of the sound in his throat. 

How did this just happen so fast. Days and weeks of her pushing and teasing and... just being Vala. Their house outline appears under the pale moonlight and he stops her at the tree in the front yard, presses her back into the bark and kisses her again. She said no to not sleeping and for some reason kissing her outside makes more sense. Like as soon as they go back in it's not allowed. 

His fingers weave through her hair and he can feel her smile beneath his mouth as their lips lock. She's so soft, so delicious, so... so Vala. And he loves it. How does one small woman feel so perfect in his arms. He's sure it's not the alcohol. All that did was give him permission to do this. 

Cam's tongue laps at hers and she's giggling and holding his hip bones, rubbing her thumbs along the dips of the muscle. He feels amazing. Just what she's been craving. Physical touch, mouth to mouth, body to body. Sleeping together has been good, for both of them, but the intimacy was something she was missing, needing. 

"Cameron..." She murmurs his name against his mouth. "We should go sleep..." It's hard to tell him but this can't go any further.

"Don't wanna." His mouth seals over hers again. He kisses her until they can't breath. "Just wanna do this..."

She really hadn't meant to let this keep going once they got home, but it's so hard to resist. 

Luckily fate, too much alcohol, and too long a day have taken a toll of him. It's a yawn that breaks the kiss for her. She presses her face to his shoulder so he can't see the smile and then pulls away. "You're tired." 

His eyes go too-wide and he shakes his head. "Not that sleepy." 

She laughs. "Yes, that sleepy. Go - go get into bed, wait for me. I'll just put out the candles and get some water for us." 

He drops down into bed and she can see from the droop of his eyes that he'll be asleep soon. She dawdles in the kitchen on purpose, goes out and gets water and some of the healing root that they'll probably both need in the morning, and then just sits there for a few minutes thinking, replaying the kisses in her mind. 

She's known for a while that he's attracted to her, but knowing it and feeling it are two entirely different things. She shivers a little remembering the warmth of the kisses, slightly sloppy but she's willing to mark that one up to the alcohol because even the drunken making out ranks up there in the top ten. 

Just as she'd expected, he's fast asleep when she goes back into the bedroom... but it doesn't stop her from leaning down to brush a kiss over his lips before she gets in beside him. 

*

Cam wakes up with a pounding headache, and a very spotty recollection of the night before. "Shit," he grumbles. He can tell that it's mid-morning, much later than he'd normally sleep in, but neither he nor Vala are expected to attend to their responsibilities today. Work is suspended except for a skeleton crew to make sure things are watered and nothing catastrophic happens, so people can trade and enjoy the company and get letters and gossip from villages that are too far to visit often. 

Vala's made breakfast. He can smell it and he's caught between his stomach turning and growling, somehow. He glances beside him and sees the tin cup of water and the root with a little note on it that says "chew me!" in Vala's handwriting. 

He does both, and rolls back over to sleep for a few more minutes. Once the root starts to take effect (so much faster than headache pills back on earth... that's one thing he'll miss) he manages to pry himself out of bed. 

"I've heated water," Vala calls out when she hears him moving around. 

He grunts a thanks at her and by the time he's out of the bath, he feels human again. 

"Food." She glances up and smiles, then points at the plate across the table. "Then we can go." 

He nods, not smiling back. Some time between the fourth and fifth bites, he remembers kissing her. His eyes jerk up sharply but she doesn't notice, or doesn't let on that she does. 

He struggles to remember if they'd done anything else, but can't. He thinks about asking, but he's not sure he wants to know the answer. He takes another bite, chews and swallows methodically. When he's done, he puts his fork down and says, "Let's go." 

Suddenly, he just wants this over. 

"You should finish eating." She reaches and grabs one of this strips of bacon type meat. "I'll help a little." Vala can tell he's anxious. She's not sure if it's because of last night or because of the Stargate. She hopes it's the latter. As much as she wants to kiss him again now she'll hold off. 

"I-" Cutting himself off he resumes eating. With all the trouble she goes through making meals for them the least he could do is finish it. It doesn't take much longer before they're both done. Food and juice consumed and dishes washed. "Now?"

She nods, a secret smile on her face. "You're cute when you're all nervous."

"I'm not nervous."

"Okay." She laughs and bumps her shoulder against his as they walk down the path from their house to the village square. 

He is, but no way is he saying it out loud. That will just make it worse. "There are six of them. We can each talk to three of them."

She hums at that and stops and turns to him. "You don't just want to talk to all of them together?" Personally she thinks that's better. For both of their sanity. She's not expecting anything positive and it's going to crush him.

"I just want to be done. To know or not know..." He grabs the edge of her hand with his fingers, rubbing his thumb along hers. "This limbo is killing me." Wanting her is killing him. He realizes he's touching her and drops her hand. It was so easy, so natural, that he just did it. 

"It won't take that long and I'd rather not split up..." For him, she wants to be there for him. 

Something in her face makes him change his mind. "If you want that..."

"I do."

Cam grins, nods and turns to keep walking. "Alright then." He thinks it's sweet that she needs him with her.

The messengers all have stations of sort. Nothing so specific but just general areas that they stick to so people know what region they are from. Cam heads to the one on the far left first and brings Vala with him. It doesn't take long to get to him despite the number of people milling around. He's very nice and while they explain the Stargate to him he listens intently, trying to piece it together but keeps shaking his head. 

Vala watches his face fall as nothing triggers his memory. She rubs his back, between his shoulder blades and gives him a sweet smile. "There are still five more." She's glad Cam is looking at her and not the messenger when he says that because the look on that man's face tells her exactly what they are going to find from the last of them. And it's not good.

They go through the same thing five more times. 

Five more shaking heads and muttered 'no's. 

Cam's posture doesn't change, his expression says set in grim realization. She's not entirely sure that he's actually processing the news that there's no Stargate on this planet, though he has to realize how slim the odds are. Even out of planets with breathable air and suitable habitat, the Ancients couldn't visit every one... and some of the ones they did put a Stargate on have been destroyed through centuries of war, demolition and rebuilding. 

Vala herself has been responsible for removing a few from worlds, as Qetesh. She feels a stab of regret, even though it means nothing to them right now. 

She reaches down and tries to thread her fingers through his but he jerks his hand away. 

"I'm going back to the house," he says, steps quickening. 

Vala has things to trade, still - things to get for them, for their house. She wants new blankets, maybe a couple of pillows she can make into cushions... just in case Cameron decides to go back to sleeping on the couch. 

She hopes that won't happen. 

* 

Back at the house - he can't quite bring himself to think of it as home right now - Cam sits at the table and just stares. 

He thinks until he just doesn't want to think anymore and get changed into his work clothes and goes out to the field. Right now he just wants something to do. 

*

Vala has to make three trips back to the house with her haul. She's done spectacularly, her makeups and perfumes and hair treatments grabbed up by the merchants hands as they'd marveled over new and exotic merchandise. She's kept to herself how to make them, for now, thinking there's more to gain from the trading than the knowledge. 

At the end of the day their cabinets are full of new fruit, fluffy loaves of bread and grains and spices and stocks for future meals. She's been indulgent without Cam to temper her choices, and there's a pretty painting to go on the wall and nice curtains and cloth to make the cushions that she'd wanted. 

She's bought clothing for him, too - pants and a shirt in a dark green that look like BDUs. At the moment she'd been happy but now she's not sure that it's a good choice. She puts them under some of the extra bedding in a box and slides it under the bed.

There are some gems that she manages to trade for, she'll make her own jewelry. She gets them a few chickens and a rooster for eggs and more chicks and even convinces one of the messengers to build the pen with supplies she's bartered for in exchange for more of her hair products. Apparently he has a wife. 

It doesn't take long and he fashions one for the goats in no time as well. Perhaps doing this your whole life makes it all less overwhelming an easier. More people come and help and when Cam walks back to get some lunch she just waves her fingers and grins. But he doesn't smile back. In fact he turns on his heel and stomps off. She's unsure as to why but she's got a good idea. Jealousy being top among the list. She lets him go, not wanting to indulge him in such silly notions. 

While they work Vala heads back to town for one last look around. She gets a hot pocket sandwich and water to munch on as she browses. She has a bit of supplies left and ends up trading for more ingredients. Next time they come it will be better. Everyone tells her that word will spread and the demands will be high. Tomorrow the men will be around still but it is the last day before they go on to the next village or home, depending on their route. One of the men from their town is packed to head with them and she feels for his wife and three children. Of course everyone will help them and Vala slips a small vial of perfume, the one she likes to call love potion, into the woman's hand before she heads home. She's given the man a list of things that might help with coloring her products or adding scents to them to take with him as well as things to trade for it. He'll have his pack animals with him to bear most of the burden so she doesn't feel bad about asking. 

She waves to them all as she leaves. The sun is threatening to go to bed, it's hanging low and large at the horizon. There is may an hour or two left of light. She hopes that Cam is home. That he got something to eat and that he'll let her help him.

Comfort him. 

Anything, as long as she doesn't get shut out. As much as she hates to admit it, she needs him. She's come to rely on him. His humor, his voice, his touch, his steadiness. Everything about him makes this feel more and more like a home every day. She wants to be that for him, too. If only he'd allow it.

*

He is back at home when she gets there. At a loss for what else to do, he's been cleaning out the rubbish left from their new fencing and trying to work his way around the chickens and goats. He'd even done some milking since they'd been running low on it, and he likes having milk in the morning. 

He tries his best not to think that he should get used to this, because it's probably his life now. He shoves that deeper down inside, buries it even more, hopes for and gets the numbness that helps close his mind off. 

He's even got dinner cooking when Vala gets home. 

"Ooh, I'm impressed," Vala says, walking in. "It smells lovely." 

"Just a couple of those birds," Cam says. 

"They taste like chicken." Vala flashes a grin at him, because it's the same joke they'd made a few days before but Cam doesn't laugh this time. Her smile dims but only briefly. "I got lots of things for us." 

"I saw." Cam's voice is clipped, short. "Used some of those spices on it." 

"Oh! Yay!" She claps her hands. "I bet it's delicious. Did you make potatoes, too?" 

"Yep." He'd cut up some in chunks and made home fries. They need salt, but they're not bad in a pinch and Vala loves them. 

When the food is done he dumps it haphazardly onto two plates and slides one across the table to her. 

"Thank you," she says. She waits until he sits to start to eat. "I got us wine. A few bottles. And beer! I put them outside in the cooler." 

"Wine?" He feels a little annoyed that she'd waste the chance to get useful supplies on it, but maybe that's what he gets for leaving the shopping up to her. He really hadn't thought it would matter.

"I thought you'd be pleased..." Her lips turn down slightly and she attempts to hide her frown with a forkful of potatoes.

Cam barks at her, not a laugh but almost one at the same time. "Why would I be pleased that you waste our trading supplies on alcohol?" He can feel the rage boiling over and he grips the edge of the table. "You couldn't find anything better to get? Grains? Seeds? Vegetables..." He forces himself to calm down, wiping his palms across his face trying to shake himself out of this funk.

"I got all that too, Cameron." Vala's worried now. Even more so than she was when he stormed off. "It's quite amazing what my silly little things go for. Everyone just said wait until next time. I'm going to have to make a lot more."

"How nice for you!" Cam can't stop the bitterness from coating his words. She's making a life here. She's fitting in. She's the one they all like. All her, always her. He's not needed. Starting over again. One step, hell, five steps behind. Just like when they surprised him with taking over SG1. He always wanted to know why it wasn't Sam. Why him? It's like the Air Force just wanted to throw another uphill battle in front of him. Relearning to walk wasn't enough. Take over this team, learn that Aliens exist, gate to other planets, and look like a damn fool. He was tired of being everyone's fool. Tired of being the one doing the catch up. Just, he was just tired...

Vala's silent, watching him for awhile, not know what to say. Or if to say anything. The food is good and she wants to tell him that but not at the expense of him shouting at her. She's spent a lot of her life being yelled at and he's got no reason to do it to her too. So she lets him have his temper tantrum. She knows it was a rough day. Finding out you might never get to go home sucks. It really does, even if your home was shit, like hers, it's still your home. 

"Vala..." Her name is like a whisper across the small table. "I just..." He can feel himself crumbling and he doesn't know how to keep it together. "I just want-"

"We will." It helps, maybe if she doesn't make him say it. "We will." It comes out even firmer the second time.

"No...." 

She can't take the way his voice cracks, the way his arms fall to the table in defeat. She's kneeling by his side, clasping one of his hands between hers. "Yes." She brings his knuckles to her cheek and leans into it. It's strange when she realizes that she actually needs this too. He needs her. She can see it when she looks at him. In all her life Vala is sure no one has needed her like this. "I don't know when or even how... but, we will."

He feels intensely comfortable, like the way she's looking at him right now she can just read every feeling that he has, every little crack in his armor, every tiny bit of vulnerability - and she might be right, what she's thinking - saying - but he's not ready to face it yet. 

So he pulls himself together. He looks away from her, needs a bit of distance because falling apart is what he wants to do but he can't do it in front of her. That's not what he wants her to think of when she looks at him. 

She rocks back on her heels and lets her hands fall away. She's no stranger to the need to take care of oneself, the need to protect how you feel. It stings a little that he feels like he needs to protect himself in front of her but she's not one to judge. 

"Are you finished eating?" She asks. 

He nods. 

"I'll take the plates, then." 

She takes them into the kitchen, running cool water into the basin and methodically scrubbing everything clean. When she's done she still hears no sound from the next room so she starts to clean the counters. She's halfway through the last one when she hears footsteps. "Come to bed. You gotta be tired." 

He sounds more tired than she feels, but he's right. It's been a long day, bustling and full of activity and the thought of just crawling under the covers - with him - sounds perfect. She turns slowly, though. "Should I sleep out here?"

It's the first time she's ever offered that, and it clearly throws him. He hesitates and then shakes his head. "No." 

She risks a smile and he doesn't return it but he doesn't scowl at her or make a comment, either. She hangs the damp cleaning cloth across the bar over the window and dries her hands on her skirt. 

They follow the same routines they've cultivated over the weeks for bedtime; changing in the bathroom, taking turns. She leaves the door open, like she always does, and he carefully avoids being in any sort of position that would grant him a view. He closes it tightly when he changes and she usually calls out flirtatious comments from the other side but tonight she just asks him if he wants to try the new blankets she'd gotten. 

He mumbles back something that sounds like 'don't care' so she changes the bedding. The new blanket is softer, made from different material than the one they'd been handed out of charity when they'd moved in. She sighs and rubs her cheek against it. It feels luxurious, even. 

Cam doesn't comment on it when he gets into bed. She's a bit disappointed, but keeps that to herself, too. 

Neither of them sleep for a while but eventually she hears his breathing start to even out. Her eyes pop open and she looks at him - strong jaw, soft mouth, eyes closed... she feels a tug of affection, of maybe something more, and smiles. He'll get some rest tonight and maybe tomorrow will be a new day.

The morning sun wakes him, bright and too happily sunny in his face. He yawns and stretches in place. Vala is curled up next to him, her breath wafts across his shoulder, she makes a little grunt as she cuddles in closer. He wants to be more for her. But right now he just... can't... He has to figure out how to live here. How to make something of himself here. He lets his fingers trace her bicep. The hair is so light and soft and her skin is like silk. 

He's already hard and he snaps his hand away and rolls out of bed. The bathroom is his sanctuary these days. He lets himself lean against the door. Every morning he wakes up, she's there, in his arms or he's behind her or she's laying on him. And every morning he wakes up hard. His cock throbbing and needy. Sometimes a cold bath, wakes him up and settles his ardor. But some mornings he comes in here and leans against the door, just like now, drops his shorts and takes himself in hand. He looks down at his erection and gently palms it. Soft, slow strokes, tugging base to tip then letting his hand slide back down and repeating. He starts today but it just makes hims angry. 

Will this be his life now? Sleeping with Vala, waking up and masturbating in the bathroom? It's frustrating and he grunts as he grips himself too hard in rage. That makes him even crankier and he starts the bath water - ice cold. He gets in before it's done filling and yelps in shock.

There's a knock. "Cam, you okay?" He can hear her yawn and feels bad for waking her.

"Fine." He's short but he can't help it. He's going to have to make up his mind. Does he want to keep her at arms length or does he want her? Before there was a point to not taking her. They were going home. They would be back to work and he didn't want to run their working relationship, and more importantly their friendship, with sex. But now.... Now, it's like there. She's available, she wants him, he wants her. There's no reason why they shouldn't now.

Is there?

He starts to scrub himself. He's rough and fast and he can see the red irritation show up behind the sponge. For some reason he feels dirty, like he's taking advantage of her by coming in here and, well, coming. It's like he's betraying her even though he guesses that she's not being chaste either. He's never seen her but sometimes he's come into the bedroom and thought he smelled a faint odor of female arousal. A little spice and heat in the air. The next morning he'd always woken especially hard after those nights. Even now just remembering it is nulling the effect of the chilled water. 

"Fuck it." He mumbles to himself as he takes his cock in hand. It's fast and effective. He knows everything that gets him there and really all he has to do is close his eyes and imagine her on their bed with her fingers buried inside her, other hand working her clit while she bucks up and grunts her satisfaction. He thinks about how she feels clamping around her own fingers, how wet she is, how she smells and tastes. He's spilling his seed in moments and it would be embarrassing if it wasn't so efficient. 

It doesn't take long to finish up, cleaning everything and drying off. She's sitting on the bed in her robe when he goes back out. "Water was cold." He gives a lame explanation, which is true but still feels like lying because he's just covering up what he really wants to say.

"Gotta make sure not to get frostbite." She tries to joke but knows that he's not giving her everything. She won't push yet. Vala respects his decision to not talk about it. For now.

* 

A few days go by. Normality settles around them, oddly refreshing to Vala and suffocating to Cam. 

It wouldn't be so bad, he thinks, if he didn't sort of like it here. He feels accomplished working with his hands, knowing that the food he grows during the day is what feeds them at night. He gets asked on a hunting trip and Vala's still better at it than he is but he does okay, with the right equipment and men that know the area. They end up with a share of the game and meat that they can treat and store and use for soups for a couple of weeks. 

"You need a hobby," Vala announces. "I got you some things." 

Cam is immediately wary. He has no idea what Vala's concept of 'hobby' actually is. He's almost relieved when she pulls out a block of wood and an intricate tool. "Uh... what is it?" 

"Wood carving," she promptly responds. "I thought you could make things. Little.. knick knacks, and such. Or maybe cases for my makeups, then I could charge more for them!" 

She sounds excited. Cam really has no interest in learning how to do anything - the only thing he's been doing is tracking star charts. He's not sure it will ever make a difference, nothing in this area is familiar... he's not going to magically chart out the way home, but it feels almost productive. 

She's gone to the trouble of getting him supplies, though, so he takes them. He tells himself that he'll do it a couple of times where she can see and then maybe she'll forget about it. 

Instead he actually finds it a little bit comforting. There's monotony but he feels more calm with his fingers busy. He does exactly what Vala had asked - makes little cases for her own creations. His first few are plain but he gets braver when they turn out okay and begins to carve designs into the top. 

Vala's pleased with the fact that she's found something for him to do besides exhaust himself with work and then pass out in bed.

Cam's work is a hit. The first time she brings the new things in for trade they end up with even more chickens, feed for them, a pig quarter and baking supplies. 

"We're a great team." Vala settles down to dinner as Cam finishes cooking it. She goes in to do all the trading during market day and he spends time at home. "I sold more than ever and the lipstick cake container was the best seller. Especially the ones with those lips carved into them. The two latches on the lid was brilliant."

He just smiles as she babbles on, watching, observing. "You're happy, aren't you?"

At first she's confused but then she understands he actually wants to know. "I am." His face falls a bit and she doesn't know how to justify herself. "We're making a good life here. One that we can be proud of. There has to be more than one version of events that allows you to find happiness, Cam. Not just the path at the SGC."

"It's all I've ever known. The Air Force. All I wanted. Now it's gone."

"No, no, not gone." She gets up and stands in front of him, rubbing the sides of his arms. "You still have your values, your training, one of your teammates..." She hopes that gives him a little comfort. He surprises her by pulling her into a hug. It's tight and sure.

Cam rubs his cheek against the top of her head. "I liked how things were."

"We can make it good here too." She hesitates a moments before adding, "Everything? You like how everything was?"

There's no question what she's hinting at and they've still sort of left everything around them hanging. "Maybe not everything. But even those things are still rocky, slippery in my fingers."

"Slippery, hmm?" She pulls back a bit to look up at him. "Well, life sometimes is." 

He laughs. "Guess I can't argue with that." 

"No, you can't. Or me. You can't argue with me. Remember that." She snuggles back into him, happy to soak in the affection. "But you can kiss me again, if you'd like." 

Again. 

This is the first time either of them have really acknowledged that they'd kissed. He fights back the urge to retreat from her and instead presses a kiss to her forehead. Her arms tighten around him even more when he says, "Remember that, do you?" 

"Yes. And I know you do, as well." She's done letting him off the hook. That he's willing to talk about this means he's starting to recover from the shock of no Stargate. She's never been known for her patience, really. She thinks she's done quite well this far. 

"You don't want to be someone's wife," Cam says. "Again." 

"I did all right in Tomin's village. When I was there, I thought - well, it wasn't him, it had nothing to do with him, but I thought if it were someone else, if not for the Ori... even on my own, i could even have been happy. And now I feel as though I'm sort of getting another chance. After Adria... Cameron, I'm tired of running. Earth was going to be my home, I had no plans on leaving, but I was a prisoner there. Here I can really... begin again. And I'm not... alone." 

Her confession is stilted but genuine and Cam wants to give it the weight that it deserves. "I had a home. Earth was my home. I can't just up and settle in somewhere else that fast." 

"I know. But there's a difference in giving it time to adjust, and refusing..." Her hands grasp his. "Don't give up. If I can be happy here, I know that you can, too."

"Just the fact that you're happy helps. You don't know how much." He lets his hand trail down her back, fingers tickled by the tips of her hair. "I just don't want to start something that... that might have to end someday."

She understands how it is. She doesn't know where this will go, neither of them do, but something about Cam is strongly pulling her in and it scares her as much as it excites her. "If you thought about how things were going to end all the time nothing would happen. You'd be trapped in the cycle of worry and end up filled with regret."

It's not that he doesn't know that, most of the time there is a lot of planning with everything that he does but this is different. His heart will be involved and she could hurt him. Break him. Does he take the chance? Waiting is torture for both of them but her past and how casual about relationships she's been makes him wary. 

"Vala, I just..." He looks down at her face. She's so calm, so stable, so... just gorgeous. His head is dipping down and he can't help it, can't stop himself. "Just want this..." The words trail off as his lips cover hers again. She's just as sweet as he can remember and their lips seem to fit perfectly as she parts just a little and lets his lips lock with hers. A moment, three, maybe a full minute of moments later he draws a breath and really starts to kiss her. The soft, pliable feel of her mouth under his makes him clench her closer, pulling her tight to his chest. Her tongue flicks across his lower lip and he opens and lets her in. He's letting her in and both of them moan at the heat of it all. 

Wet heat sliding against each other as his tongue joins in. Vala's so delicious he wants to devour her. Cam's fingers track upwards to grip her hair and her palms are keeping her tight to his chest. Soon he can't breathe but can't stop kissing her so his lips trail down her jaw to her neck. 

He wants to cry out with how much he's afraid of getting hurt but instead he just whispers in her ear, "You taste just like I remember."

She laughs and squeezes him. "You taste less like alcohol. Much better."

"Sorry..." He's embarrassed now that their first kiss was soiled by his overindulgence. "Try to be better from now on."

"Mmmm, no need. I liked how that turned out." She finds his lips again, a quick deep kiss. "Very much."

And that's how it happens - quietly, sweetly. It doesn't make things easier... in fact, for Cam, it's another complication that in tired moments he'd almost rather not have. But it's also the most fulfilling thing about being here. 

They sleep pressed together, like before, but nothing else happens that night. 

The next day she kisses him goodbye, a sweet chaste little peck. He returns the same when he sees her later that day for lunch service. He can tell it catches her off guard and she beams at him. 

He takes her hand when it's time to walk back to their house. He can see that she's buzzing with excitement and he has no idea what's going to happen but for the moment he's not afraid of it. 

Whatever might happen doesn't, though - a neighbor, three homes down the road, has a broken fence and Cam is enlisted to help repair it for the widowed woman. Vala helps to wrangle the chickens that have gotten loose and store them in their own yard, while Cam makes a trip back into town to get the supplies they'll need to fix the fence. 

It's after dark by the time they make it back to their home. Cam is dirty and tired and hungry. Vala sees the expression on his face and laughs. "Go, darling. Bathe yourself. Come back to me smelling fresh and clean."

He throws a grin in her direction. "You saying I smell?" 

"Yes." She smiles and kisses the corner of Cam's mouth, then shoves at his shoulder. "I'll start dinner." 

He actually takes his time scrubbing down, watching the water turn murky and then running more so he can do it all again. He feels refreshed by the time he comes out, though Vala is mocking him through the doorway for excessive pampering - hilarious considering how long her baths take.

"Dinner smells good." He's heading right for her and she turns and grins at him.

Vala's hands slide up his chest and she cups the back of his neck, taking an obvious whiff as he leans into her space. "You do, too. Or at least a big improvement from before."

Their mouths meet and she's sucking on his lower lip. Her fingers rake along the base of his neck and make him groan against her. She's deepening it and things are starting to spiral towards nowhere and everywhere all at once. His stomach choses that moment to interrupt them, hungry, angry noises rumbling from the depths.

"Better feed me." She's laughing as she pulls back, not enough to leave his embrace, but enough to look at him. 

Her fingers play at his temple, stroking the tiny hairs and making him grin. "Don't want you to waste away now, do I?"

"Wouldn't be much of a companion if I did." They thread their fingers together and walk the short distance to the table, already set with food. "This looks perfect, baby."

They sit down and start to eat, at some point Cam's hand finds hers again and his thumb plays along her wrist and knuckles. Soon he's just watching the gooseflesh form on her skin, dinner forgotten, as he caresses her flesh. He was feeling tired but the food seems to have revived a little of his ardor from earlier. 

"All full?" She thinks how full she wishes to be as the pad of his thumb keeps tracing the veins of her wrist. She doesn't want to move but she wants him. "Ready for bed?" It's said with smoke and her voice gravels with need.

"Tired, baby?"

"No." She gives him a grin and presses her lips to his temple as she gets up to put up the dishes. Despite how badly she wants to just leave it they don't want a wild animal problem and not cleaning up after eating is a great way to start that. He helps her, quiet gropes, quick kisses, once just standing behind her and holding her to him, kissing her neck as she dries the dishes he just finished washing. 

Neither of them talk as they head to bed, Cam puts on his pajamas, in the bathroom and comes out to find her already under the covers. He looks at her, wondering if she's wearing something and she must know exactly what he's thinking.

"Don't worry." Her hand beacons him. "Come to bed."

He slides in and settles on his back, she's half on him, her mouth against his, kissing him hard. She's got a tank top and panties on, but that's it and Cam's okay with that. His hand plays against the small of her back, inching up the tank, finding her skin. "This is nice."

She mumbles against his lips. "Just nice?"

"Perfect." Their lips find each other again. Kissing and playing and discovering and connecting. It's dark but that seems to make it more heated.

He wants to have sex with her. That isn't really a mystery; it's a surface need, always right there, hovering in his mind. What she'd feel like, what she'd taste like, how she'd react. He's a guy, it's sex, it's a no-brainer there. 

But he's also not going to push and he's not going to be pushed. It just needs to feel... right. Whether right happens sooner or later isn't something he's going to concern himself with. He'll just... see where it goes. Right now, it's going in a pretty good direction. Kisses, wet and long, tongues stroking over each other. She has her hands under his shirt, against his sides... any lower and she'd start to feel the scarring. She's seen it before, but it feels strange for that not to be something he worries about. 

"Vala..." He breathes out her name, pulling from the kiss to rest his forehead against hers. "I gotta, I gotta know. Did you and Jackson-" 

"Never," she says, meeting his lips again in a hard press of a kiss. 

"Never? Nothing? Not even-" 

"We- once, we almost, but he was drunk, and... I don't think he even remembered, Cameron. And..." Her voice drops conspiratorially. "He was an awful kisser." 

"Hey, I was drunk the first time we kissed, too," Cam points out, laughing. He's not really bothered by the idea that she kissed Jackson, if kissing is all they did. 

"Yes, but you were drunk and still good. He was... rather not." She giggles, but then falls serious again. "Is that all right? Cameron, you've got to know, I'm not an innocent-" 

"I know," Cam says. "Hell, me neither." 

She feigns shock, and he can see it even in the dim light filtering in through the window. "You're no trembling babe in the night? However will I corrupt you, then..." 

He pinches her side. "I think you can find ways." 

"Mmm, is that a dare, Cameron?" 

"I'm smarter than that. So, no, it isn't."

She pouts, prettily, but he leans up and covers it with his mouth. Quickly she forgets what it was she was pretending to be upset about and only knows that he's kissing her. 

"Baby..." He inhales her scent, the spicy warmth of her arousal makes him groan. His cock likes this direction. "What do you want?"

"Mmmm" Her mouth covers his trying to answer his question without words. Fingers explore the waistline of his boxers and push under it. "You..."

"We should take it slow..." Suddenly he's worried about going about this too quickly Vala means a lot to him and he doesn't want this to turn out poorly. They have to live together here, get along and sex can ruin everything.

She just pushes her hand closer to his cock, itching to touch it, and kisses him harder. "I do like slow..." She changes the angle and devours him. "Or fast... or hard." She's puffing breath against his cheek and his fingers grip her wrist and stop her progress.

"I'm serious, Vala. Don't wanna ruin this." 

It almost makes her laugh but she holds back. "Sex never ruins anything..."

"Ha! It can ruin everything and you know it."

"But not when I'm this horny..." She grumps at him and retreats. "Just kissing?"

He pulls her back to him. "For now."

"There are a lot of places that can be kissed..." She whispers as she covers his lips.

"We can't... anyway," Cam realizes. He breaks the kiss to say it, her mouth still close to his. "We can't have sex." 

Her eyes go wide, dramatically. "What?"

"Unless - uh, I'm guessing by the number of babies in the average family here, they don't have birth control, really." 

Her face falls. "I don't believe so. I can ask... I suppose, but I doubt..." 

Cam hadn't exactly been planning on stripping her naked and fucking her in their bed that night, but he can't deny that now that it's off the table for sure, he's more than a bit disappointed. 

He tugs her back into his arms. "I guess just... ask." 

That's going to be a pleasant conversation, Vala thinks. She'll have to come up with some reason that she hasn't been concerned with it before now. Or perhaps a reason that she doesn't actually want children right away. The town has a very accepting attitude toward childrearing; married couples start early and most have five or six before nature intervenes. Growing the village is seen as a good thing, as far as she can tell. 

None of that really occurs to Cam, though, and Vala can tell that. She decides not to bring it up until she can determine for sure.

"You know that I want to, right?" Cam is pretty sure that she does, but miscommunication can cause issues. 

A glance down at the bulge in the sheets tells her everything. "We don't need to be normal about it, you know?"

"i'm not going to develop a penchant for goats..." Cam muses.

Vala whacks his shoulder. "I don't want to waste that on a goat. I mean there are a lot of ways to get off that doesn't involve ways to make babies."

"Yeah, but I really want to be inside you..." He feels his cheeks heat up, unbelieving that he just said that out loud. 

Vala kisses him for admitting that. A shiver goes through her spine. "You have other things that you can put inside me." Her fingers find his and she caresses them. "Might not feel exactly the same but..." She rolls off him and places his hand on her stomach. A little nudge tells him to move southward.

Her panties are smooth and he can feel the damp heat even when he's too far north to encounter the slickness. The humidity of her sex wafts up and tickles his finger tips, tempting him to touch her. "You sure?"

"Mmhmm..." Her hips roll and she begs him for more. 

There's no more thought about it and Cam's holding his breath as he lets his fingers trace the lines of her pussy over her underwear. The lips are plumping underneath his light caress and the slick heat of her body that's soaking the fabric. 

"You're really wet..." He's fascinated by her reaction to him. He takes his time, drawing circles and lines and just having fun exploring her body.

"Take them off..." Her request is followed up with a moan.

"Bossy," Cam comments, though it's really exactly what he'd expected. He turns onto his side to get more comfortable, looking down at where his hand disappears under the blanket. He doesn't do what she'd asked, doesn't take them off, just presses his fingers harder and glides upward, looking for - 

"Oh!" 

There it is, that spot that makes her jerk. She follows it up with a happy whimper and a thrust of her hips to try and recreate the friction, but Cam has already slid his fingers away. He goes back to stroking her inner thighs, only darting up to press her clit when she stops expecting it. 

After the third time she grabs his arm. "Cameron. Do not make me hurt you." 

"I'd rather you make me feel good." 

"Yes, it's a mutual expectation, I think." She grins at him and grabs his hand, directing it under the cloth. "Do I have to do everything for you?" 

"Hmm..." He thinks about it. "I might not mind watching you do all of that." 

"Later," she says. "Not tonight. Tonight..." 

"This?" 

Words escape her as his finger hits slick flesh and skates past her clit down to dip inside of her. 

"Yesss," she hisses, mouth dropping open. "Make me come, Cameron." 

"Bossy." He presses a kiss to the curve of her jaw when he says it this time. "But I will."

"You like-" She cuts herself off with a gasp as he slowly pumps in and out of her. It feels amazing and her legs part further to allow him to get deeper. Vala arches into him and turns to look at his face. "You like me to boss you." She's all breath and whisper and moan as his thumb sneaks across her clit while his finger presses up into her g-spot. 

"I like you every way." He nuzzles at her as his fingers keep moving and working her body. "But this is especially nice." He kisses her neck and licks at her earlobe, taking it between his teeth and sucking while he strokes her clit.

His fingers are so wet, so hot from being inside her and his cock aches for that feeling too. Knowing he won't get it is painful but his hips press themselves into her side and the bump of her body makes him groan. It's about her right now, though, and he tries to get himself under control. 

"Faster..." She can feel how turned on he is, but right now can't think to do anything for him. He listens, this time, to her needs and adds a finger, filling her up with two now. She clamps around him and god, it feels so perfect. She's gotten herself off enough here, but it's always different when it's someone else's hands. "'S good, so good..."

"You gonna come, baby?" He kisses along her temple, cheek and in front of her ear. "I wanna watch you come."

Just the sound of that request leaving his lips sends her a little closer, a bit higher. "Close, darling..." 

He moves his thumb to the edge of her clit, concentrating on the sensitive tip. She jerks in response and he keeps going, loving the tightening of her body around his fingers. "Come, Vala." He watches her face intently, almost able to feel what she's feeling by her expression. "Come on, sweetheart." She's gorgeous as her face scrunches and a darker blush invades her cheeks. Her neck stretches as her head tilts back and he can feel the tight followed by the rippling. "Beautiful." He whispers as he works her through her orgasm. 

He slides his hand out of her panties, fingers tracing now damp circles along her hip as he body shudders with the effort to suck in air she'd somehow forgotten that she needed. 

She takes a couple of minutes to recover, but she knows he's patiently waiting and she doesn't put him through too much. She rolls over on top of him, the v of her legs settling right over his cock. He bucks up, making her laugh, giving him a bit of delicious friction. 

"Well, I was going to offer to suck you, but if you'd prefer this..." She leans down and nips at his jaw, a spark of pain that he didn't know he'd like until she'd done it. 

"Not gonna last long," he mumbles, grabbing her hips. He hasn't done this since he was in college, fumbling around half clothed with girls he would forget by the next week, but right now it sounds just damn perfect. 

She braces her hands on his shoulders and starts to move, rubbing back and forth over him. It's good but not exactly perfect, so she reaches down and readjusts him. The casual touch of her fingers on him through the underwear he's wearing is sort of a thrill and he definitely wants more of that, but right now this is the best chance he has of not humiliating himself by coming right away. 

"Mmm, better," she says, and her eyes get that sort of glazed under look and he realizes that she's still sensitive and this is doing something for her, too. This makes him feel a little bit better. 

He reaches one hand up and cups a breast, unable to resist anymore. His thumb rubs over her nipple but it's not enough for her - she yanks the tank top over her head and then she's naked from the waist up and writhing rhythmically on him. Her breasts bounce with each movement. "Again," she says, guiding his hand back to her now naked flesh. 

He pinches the nipple and she definitely likes that. She moves a little faster, humping herself against his cock. The pleasure is too blinding, and he has to shut his eyes and drop his hand back down to her hip. "Vala - fuck-" 

She goes faster, wanting him to feel good but more concerned with her own orgasm now, since his is fairly inevitable. It works; she gasps and the pleasure spikes through her again, not quite as intense as before but still wonderful. Cam's left hanging but she can't take the overstimulation so she uses her hand to finish him instead. She feels the come as it pulses out against her hand, soaking his underwear.

He keeps his palms on her thighs moving up and down, feeling the soft smooth skin. She's trembling under his hands and he moves up to her waist and gives a tug to bring her down next to him. When she flops down he can't stop from touching her. Her breasts are small but perfect for his palm and he cups one again, teasing around the nipple. 

"Trying for three?" She just grins and watches him play. "I'm not opposed. In case you were worried."

Her nipple puckers under his ministrations and it makes him grin sleepily. "How hard will I have to try?"

"Depends." She takes off her panties, the crotch completely soaked anyway, and tosses them across the room. "Might need to upgrade to something softer than fingers..." 

He chuckles and follows her lead, taking off his underwear and using the fabric to clean off his cock before sending them flying. "You're messy." 

"The best sex always is." She pulls him in to kiss her. 

Tugging at his t-shirt he finally takes it off, breaking the kiss and quickly returning to her lips. "You know you're gorgeous?" He strokes her hair and just looks at her for a minute before starting to explore her with his lips. She's so soft under his mouth and he hovers over her as he works towards her breasts. 

"I had a good idea that I was, but you make me feel like I am." She pets his shoulders, down his arms and over his upper back. He feels so nice under her hands and she rubs at his muscles and lets her nails trail lightly all over. His mouth makes her moan as he captures her nipple in his mouth. "You really gonna try for number three?"

"I never-" Cam sucks hard on one bud, "Never." Sucks on the other one. "Joke about orgasms." He tweaks her hip with his hand as he nuzzles the curve of her breast before licking and sucking his way to her along her ribs and stomach. 

"Good, those kind of jokes aren't funny to me." She sucks in breath as his tongue laps lightly at her abs. 

He can smell her, he could before, but now it's so strong and Cam't cock twitches, wishing that he could participate. "You like this?" He nods toward her cunt and traces a line downward with the tip of his tongue. "Want me to lick you?"

"Cameron, that is a question I will very rarely answer n- ohgod." She arches up when his mouth settles between her legs, hand reaching down to settle in his hair. 

She's still sensitive from her second orgasm and it doesn't take long; he doesn't get hard again, not this soon, but that doesn't bother him. He loves the taste of her on his tongue and the sound of her voice in his ears. He loves that when she comes the third time she's clearly exhausted, limp in his arms as he cuddles her to him. 

She's asleep almost before his head settles on the pillow beside hers. He watches her for a few minutes before letting himself fall into sleep alongside her. 

* 

He wishes they had the morning for indulging, sleeping in together, but they don't. 

The village only takes one rest day a week and it's not for days. He drags himself out of bed early and dresses, making them some breakfast while Vala sleeps in. 

"Where did you go?" She comes out of the bedroom grumpy... and naked 

Very naked. 

He grins at her. "Food." 

Her face lights up. "Fine, that's allowed." 

"I'm glad." He laughs, and hands her a plate. "Eat up. Then put on clothes." 

She grumbles but she's agreed to help with some cloth dying mid-morning which means she needs to walk to the town center not long after Cam leaves for the fields.

"I suppose..." Not at all disappointed that she can walk around the house nude now. "But they're such a bother."

"For somethings..." He palms her hip, pulling her close as she shovels her eggs into her mouth. "But they make me able to leave on time."

"Oh?" She twists back and forth, just a little, and grins. 

His thumb rubs up and down the bone smiling back. "Yeah, leaving a naked Vala is much harder than leaving clothed or partially clothed Vala." His other hand brushes the underside of her breast, beading her nipple. He flicks the pad of his thumb over it and she squeaks. 

"Maybe that's my plan..." Her eggs are finished and she sets the bowl down on the table. She leans into him and they kiss. His mouth is hungry for her and it surprises her a little. "Thought you were heading to work?" She murmurs between kisses. 

Cam moans against her mouth, a moan of slight pain as he pulls away. "I was... Something better just walked out of the bedroom though..."

"Glad I beat working in the field all day."

He's walking quickly to the door not wanting to be tempted into staying. "You beat doing anything else, baby." He blows her a kiss. "See you at lunch."

She watches him go and then goes to get ready to head to the town. 

*

It's a hot day and Cam thinks he might be hallucinating when he sees the gorgeous sight of Vala when he crests the hill. Her hair is wisps around her face and she's grinning as she talks to one of the women. He's seen this same view most everyday since they've been there and it's different today. He knows that the expression on his face as he walks down the hill is goofy, but he doesn't care. 

The smile he gets when she sees him makes lets him know that she is feeling exactly the same as he is. What happened last night was a big deal. It meant so much to both of them. When he reaches her he doesn't care if people are looking, he pulls her into his arms and hugs her tight. 

"Missed you, baby." His mouth brushes her neck as he talks. "How's your morning." 

As he pulls back she captures his mouth with hers, giving him a proper, inappropriate kiss as a greeting. "Good. Got a lot done. I missed you, too."

He sees more than a couple of people shooting them amused smiles, and one child giggling at them. He flushes a little, but kisses Vala on the temple before he pulling away completely. 

Vala's still pleasantly thrilling over the fact that he'd called her baby. She ushers him into a seat and brings him food, sitting beside him instead of across from him. She likes the feeling of their thighs pressed together when they're side by side. 

So does he, though he's a little bit embarrassed to admit it. "Food is good," he says, not sure what she'd helped make but willing to compliment it all, especially since it really is all good. 

"Wait until dessert." Vala winks at him. 

"There's desser-" He stops, confused because the day's 'dessert' - candied fruit in sauce - is already on his place. Then he realizes what she means, and laughs. "Oh, yeah? That so?" 

"Mhm." She licks fruit sauce off of her spoon and smirks. "I hope you're hungry." 

His voice drops an octave. "Starving." 

Well, that backfired. She hadn't counted on that tone. Vala squirms a bit and squeezes her thighs together a bit. God, she just... she wants right now. She wants him. His mouth, his hands, his tongue, his hard cock... she wants him, all of him. 

And she can't have all of him. But she can have something.

Cam eyes her as he tries to finish his lunch. It's tempting just to forget it and drag, or run after her, back to the house. "Did you ask..." He lets it trail off hoping she knows what he's referring too. If her frown is any indication it doesn't look good. 

"They..." She groans, knowing that they both want this. "There's nothing. The women thought that I was being crazy. I kinda told them about Adria and made it sound like I was scared..." Which might be true anyway. "But they just said that you must love me and want to have children with me. I shouldn't worry and the gods will bestow upon us the right number of children."

"Wow... well..." He tries to think of something, anything. "We'll just have to not..."

"But I really want to." Vala leans into him, pouting. Her thighs squeeze together again and she kisses his shoulder. "I want your cock inside me."

"Fuck, Vala..."

"I want you to."

"I can't... God, don't do this to me. We need to be careful. If I got you pregnant here..." Cam doesn't want to consider all the things that sound so right about that situation to him. He needs to think about the primitive birthing and the lack of medical equipment if something went wrong. "We can't do anything to risk it."

"You're no fun."

He pretends to get cranky at her. "That's not the same thing I was hearing last night."

"I was under the influence of orgasms." She kisses his cheek. "Now I know though."

"Guess I'll have to remedy this." His hand lands on her knee and he slides his and up and down teasing her inner thigh then back to her knee. "But not until after I finish this delicious food."

Vala forks herself some food off his plate. "I'll help."

"Hey, now! I need to keep up my strength if I'm expected to keep you in orgasms." He leans across and kisses the corner of her mouth. 

Vala seems to see the logic in this because she leaves him alone until he's done. "Ready to go home?"

She sees the look on his face before he actually says anything, and she knows that it's not good. 

"They asked me to stay the rest of the day. I'm... well, I'm doing better now, you know? My leg isn't giving me much trouble, I think I've built up some stamina for it, and the shift leader noticed. Figured I was still just as eager to start going back to full days so he okayed me for it." 

"No!" Vala whines. "You have to come home with me. For the orgasms." 

He laughs, though really he feels the same way. "Tell that to Jekib." 

Vala seeks him out in the crowd. Jekib is older, more of a supervisor now than an actual worker. He's fair and a good boss but surly, and not really the most approachable person ever. He especially isn't taken by Vala's brand of charm, much to her dismay. 

Suddenly her food isn't quite as interesting as it had been before. "But I want you to come home." 

"I'll be home," Cam says, reaching out to rub his hand up and down over her arm, pulling her into a sideways hug. "In a few hours." 

"Whatever will I do until then?" She pouts at him. "Maybe I should just get started early." 

Now suddenly it's Cam that's not really invested in eating lunch, though for a totally different reason. "Without me?" 

She shrugs. "If work is so much more important..." 

It's not really fair, and she knows it, but she wants him. "What do you expect me to do?" 

"Tell them you're still hurt?" 

"Vala, I'm not going to lie. Besides, it's good for me to go back to full days. I need to be pulling the same weight as everyone else." It really is important to him. Vala's important, too, but - they've got a while, as much as he hates to admit it. Maybe even... the rest of their lives. 

That thought still makes his blood run cold so he pushes it aside in favor of the too-tempting thought of Vala starting to play without him.

"If you start without me just make sure to save something for my welcome home gift." He can see her giving in and understanding. It's a relief. 

Vala leans against him, wanting to get as much of him as she can until later. Her hand traces along his back and she just watches him finish his lunch. "You're sure?"

He gives her a look telling her that he's sorry but he shrugs. "Wait for me, baby?"  
The nickname makes her giddy and she nods. "Kiss me goodbye?"

"Always." He gives her a fairly deep kiss for a public venue but he can't help himself. She's too hard to resist. "See you in awhile."

She pouts until she can't see him any longer then gets up and starts helping with the clean up. It's really not that many more hours. They start pretty early in the morning so there are only a few hours remaining after lunch break. But it's hard to forget about what she wants. 

Him.

Cam.

Between her legs. It makes her shudder and she heads for home. She's got plenty to occupy her there just nothing as great as the orgasms she knows he'll be able to entertain her with. She takes the time to make more make up, her stock was getting low and Cam's cases needed to be filled. It's mind numbing at this point so it's easy to fall into a fantasy of Cam coming back early and dropping to his knees beneath the table to bring her off with his mouth. Or one of him carrying her to bed and having his way with her. One in the bathtub, one more in the backyard, a fun one in the creek, and a few more in various rooms of the house.

By the time he walks in she's going to be primed and ready for fucking. Too bad they can't do that. But she's more than happy to accept the substitutions. Maybe they make a primitive dildo they can play with... She ponders how she can ask the women about that...

Cam is lucky enough to have distractions throughout the day, though it doesn't stop him from being slightly jittery as the days end nears. 

When storms start to gather and it's announced that they can leave half an hour early, Cam is ahead of the rest of the crowd. It's been a long time since he has had something to look forward to like this, something that doesn't come side by side with fear and anxiety. 

Even before they'd left earth - this just wasn't part of his life. He had no time for sex, for women... and he didn't really miss it. Sure, sometimes, he had that itch that needed to be scratched, but he had hands and an imagination and, hell, a computer. But now he had a woman, sweet and soft and warm, waiting for him. 

Wanting him. 

He tries very hard not to think about how she's wanting him, though. Because that just makes him want to break into a run and he doesn't really want to show up sweaty on top of being dirty. He'll want to bathe before they do anything... 

If she still wants to? Not that he thinks she really will have changed her mind, but maybe... maybe he shouldn't just be treating this like something to rush home to. Maybe... 

He stops at a fork in the road and takes the one that heads to town. The marketplace is still set up, until dusk every day. He finds the flower stand and plucks up a bouquet then goes to the sweet maker. She's a sweet little old woman who already knows Vala's favorites and is perfectly happy to put together a small bag of them. 

It's not exactly the flowers and chocolate that he's used to bringing to dates, but he hopes she'll like it. As a last thought he gets a bottle of sweet wine, too. 

* 

Cameron isn't home at the normal time and Vala's two seconds away from going out to look for him. She feels irrationally angry; why hadn't he rushed to see her? Hasn't he been looking forward to this, like she has? 

She'd been wearing her nicest dress, hair washed and curled as best she could manage it, wearing her favorite shades of her own makeup. She's tempted to take it all off - if it doesn't matter to him-

"Vala?" Cam calls out, walking inside. Vala whirls around, mouth set firmly, and then she sees him standing there... with flowers, and candies, and a look on his face that makes her stomach flip. "Wow. You look... amazing."

She's speechless at first but quickly recovers. "For me?" Walking over she leans up and kisses him before taking her flowers and candies. She sets the blooms down and then opens the bag. "My favorites!" That earns him another, deeper kiss. 

"The woman helped me." He holds her close, hands on her hips, thumbs stroking along the bones. Her mouth is sitting sweet under his his and he can't resist. "I have wine too..." He closes the short distance between their lips and kisses her. 

She tastes clean and sweet and smells like soothing lavender. Her fingers are squeezing him closer on his back and she's standing on up on her tip toes to press their lips closer together. 

"I might buy sweets there sometimes..."

He kisses her jaw and ear. "Just sometimes?" He chuckles and pulls away, takes the wine from his pack and hands it to her. "Put that in the creek a bit, I'm going to go clean up." His thumb skims up her rib cage and cups her breast against his palm. "You didn't start without me did you?"

She leans into the contact and shakes her head. "I waited for you." She watches his hand play with her breast. "Did some work..." It's impossible to hold in the moan. "Your hands feel better anyway."

"Glad to hear." The urge to just strip her is growing, along with other things, she's so perfectly soft and plump. The nipple is hardening against his hand. "Really gotta go get clean..." He's still unmoving.

"So I can get you dirty again..." She helps him out and backs up. "I'll go get this cooling." She motions with the wine. 

He watches her ass as she heads out the door. Wearing pants is getting uncomfortable and he just strips on his way to the bathroom, drawing the water and throwing the dirty laundry into the hamper. Cam listens to the sounds of the house as he gets into the hot water. When he hears her come back in he smiles. Her footfalls along the floor are upbeat and happy. He can't wait to bring here off again. His eyes close and he starts to go back to imagining everything from the fields.

*

Vala walks in on him and he's relaxing in the big tub. The water is pretty dirty so she reaches in to drain it, which startles Cam. "Gonna refill it. Stay put..." She's got plans. Plans that involve climbing into the water with him.

That look on her face usually means trouble but right now the kind of 'trouble' she's up to is perfectly okay with him. He waits in the bath while she goes out... and then comes back, slowly stripping out of the pretty dress that she's in. She bundles her hair on her head, a few loose curls slipping free but mostly pinned up so it won't get wet. 

He looks at her greedily, enjoying all the naked skin. He's seen most of her at this point but not all over her, not all at once. She gives him one of those big Vala smiles and climbs into the tub with him, jostling his limbs until she can settle between his legs, back against his chest. "Is this all right?" 

It's funny that she only asks after she's pressed intimately against him, but he just says, "Of course," and kisses the curve of her neck. 

The water is warm and relaxing. He doesn't resist the urge that comes over him to touch her... to press his palms flat against her stomach and then rub down over her thighs. She parts them instinctively, whining a little, but he doesn't touch her where she wants. It's too early in the evening and he has too many plans. 

"No rush," he says to her.

"Yes rush," she pouts back. "I've been waiting all day, Cameron." 

"Oh, fine," he laughs. "Impatient." 

He his one hand press between her legs, finding her skin slightly warmer than the water around them... even more so when he lets two fingers press inside. "Like this?" 

She nods. She wants more, but for now - this will do just fine. She likes that she can feel him getting hard where they're pressed together. She wants to touch him, tonight - maybe even taste him. She wants to feel him thick and solid in her mouth, alive and throbbing. She wants as much as he'll let her have.

Cam takes his time exploring her body, one hand focused on pumping in and our of her and the other skims over her skin under the water. Breast play, tickling her ribs, flattening on her belly. He nuzzles her neck, lips skimming up and down. 

"Feel good, baby?" The question is rhetorical, her answering moan tells him that it does. He presses a kiss on the curve of her jaw. "You're so soft." 

He lets his thumb play with her clit for a moment but when she flutters around his fingers he withdraws. 

"More..." She bucks up and tries to entice him to give it to her. 

Cam chuckles and grunts as her ass pushes back against his cock, forcing it to dip between the cheeks. "Oh... Baby." He can't help himself he rolls his hips forward and grinds against the softness. 

It takes a short second for her to turn around and start rubbing herself against his cock. The water makes everything slick and heated, her lower lips part across his cock and her clit slides across the head, exactly right. She clenches against nothing, wanting so desperately to take him inside her. It would be so simple. So easy. But she doesn't have any desire to be pregnant. She leans into his chest-her breasts flatten against him and the hair tickling her nipples. Rough and hard and it makes her shiver with desire. Her hips move faster, just reaching for completion.

His hands grab her hips and help her move against his cock. Cam is holding back, just wanting to watch her come, but trying to not let himself go yet. One hand follows the curve of her ass and dips between her thighs, finding her opening and entering from behind to give her more. She's almost instantly tightening around him. 

"Come, love." He's whispering in her ear, lapping at the whorls with his tongue in time to her movement against his cock. He can feel the pre-cum leaking into the warms water and he groans. She gasps and starts rippling against his hand. "Beautiful."

Her orgasm hits fast and hard and he gentles her through it. Once she's done shivering with the pleasure she leans back, reaching between them. Her fingers wrap around him and he has to shut his eyes, knows he can't look down and see what she's doing or he'll just lose it. 

Her hand feels good, strokes firm and even and perfect, just the sort of pressure that he needs. "Like this?" She asks, wanting to know that she's doing it right, wanting to learn him. 

He nods. "Yeah, just... yeah. Just like that." 

He breathes in deeply, even in and out, while she speeds up a little and then slows back down. She stops jerking him off and just explores him for a few minutes; cups his balls and tests the weight of them. Her thumbs wipes over the tip, playing with the oversensitive flesh there, rubbing against the pre-come at the tip. She scrapes over it with her nail so gently, then takes him back in a solid grasp and strokes a little faster. 

She wants to see him come. She wants to look down and see it between them, pearly in the water. She wants to watch his face in the lo light of a sun not quite set, while he's coming. 

"Vala..." He tries to give her a warning. 

She just grins. 

"Do it," she whispers, voice low. "Cameron, come for me." 

He throws his hand back, hands gripping the sloping edge of the tub so hard that his knuckles turn white. "Vala--" 

"Yes, Cameron, yes," she soothes him, other hand rubbing up and down his chest. "Right now, now, come for me." 

It only takes a few more strokes after that.

They stay in the water for a little longer, but it cools quickly with the night air and eventually it becomes uncomfortable. 

"Get your pjs on and I'll meet you in the kitchen for supper." Cam helps her out and gently dries her off with the towel before putting the robe on her. Her butt gets a little tap from his palm as she retreats. He gets a little happy squeal as she scurries into their room. He is fast with his own clothes already having clean boxers in the bathroom. He pulls on a t-shirt as well since the temperature has dropped, before going into the living area. He plates up dinner for them both and then settles in and waits for her. She isn't much longer and instead of taking her own seat she snuggles into his lap.

"Gonna be harder to eat this way." He doesn't mind much and hugs her to him. "I could just feed you."

"Oh, a lovely idea!" She opens her mouth for the first bite. "I'm ready."

He obliges her with a piece of meat and then feeds himself the same portion. Dinner precedes like this until Vala is finished then she hops off his lap, kissing his cheek on the way up, and heads out to get the wine. She has the cork worked free when she gets back and Cam has almost completed the kitchen clean up. All that's left is drying the dishes and putting them away. She finds two clean glasses and pours them both a generous amount of the sweet wine. 

"You bring that to bed, with your sweets. I'll be in in a moment. Just want to finish this." The expression on her face is happier than Cam can remember seeing her in a long time. She does what he asks, probably because it's to her benefit, and that makes him smile. 

*

Vala is intent on making a romantic evening for them, it's still relatively early, but it's getting dark much earlier now. She wants to spend the night talking and kissing and cuddling and eating candy and drinking wine and maybe sex, again. Well, orgasms anyway. She situates herself so when he comes in all she has to do is flip back the blankets and he can crawl in next to her. The little table easily holds their dessert and she's almost patient enough to wait.

Almost.

A few of the candies, somehow, make their way to her mouth. She justifies it by saying they were for her anyway. The flowers have found a home on the dresser in the room and their fragrance adds a light floral sweetness to the air. She loves that he got them for her. This, them, it means something to him. Something more than sexual satisfaction. Of course, she always mostly knew that Cam wasn't the halfway sort. He's always all in on missions and it doesn't surprise her one bit that he'd be that way in a relationship too. 

A relationship? She is honestly in one?

Yeah, yeah she is. And it feels wonderful. So good.

Two months later

Cam rolls off of Vala just in time. He's drenched in sweat, breathing hard and grunting with the effort not to come, his cock rutting against her hip. 

"Oh, Cameron, fuck-" Vala squirms. "That was, that almost-" 

"I know, I know, sorry, I-" It's embarrassing, it's fucking humiliating, he just wants to be in her so badly. His cock throbs and pulses with the need and he's about two seconds away from losing it. 

He rolls onto his back, needing the minute to gather himself. She sits up, face flushed and hair sticking to her face, glaring at him. "Cameron, please tell me you did not just stop having sex with me before either of us came." 

He covers his eyes with his hand, annoyance flaring. "I didn't stop. I just need a minute." 

She reaches down and grabs his cock, stroking him. He yelps, trying to back up higher on the bed like that will help him escape her grasp, but he hadn't been exaggerating. He really was too close and the touch sends him out of control, coming hard across his stomach and chest. 

It feels too good and wholly disappointing at the same time. He hadn't been ready for it to be over. 

And he knows she hadn't been, either. She flops back on the bed and slides her hand between her legs, fingers fucking herself. She whines at a touch that's not quite deep enough, not quite filling enough anymore. Cam overlooks his afterglow and reverses their positions, hovering over her and shoving at her hand until he can do it instead, for her. He brings her off hard and fast, at odds with the kiss he gives her while she pulses around his fingers. 

He licks her bottom lip before he pulls away, slumping back onto the bed. They're both still annoyed, sort of pissed off, entirely frustrated with the position that they're in... and the ones that they can't be in.

"You could just pull out..."

It's been argued to death by now. But he just repeats the same mantra. "It's not safe. It's probably the worst prevention for pregnancy on the planet. All the planets." He adds on the end, remembering where they are.

She whimpers. "But Cam... I need you."

"Fuck, Vala..." He growls and sits up on the bed, pausing momentarily before walking to the bathroom to clean up. "You don't think I want that?"

"It's not that-"

"I'm frustrated beyond belief. We can't risk it. I can't risk you..." He knows that people have been having babies forever and there is a healthy population of people here so they must know about birthing children. It's just that it's Vala. She's his responsibility. He's pretty sure he's falling in love with her. Probably already beyond the point of return. Almost assuredly. There are just too many things that go wrong and with her past it's extra problematic. 

She follows him in, waiting until he's wiped his stomach clean before hugging him tightly around the waist and resting her head between his shoulder blades. "I wouldn't mind having a baby again."

"Honey-"

"Just hear me out." He huffs and she knows that she's won the first round. "We could try not to get pregnant and if something happens that we do... It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."

"I don't want to lose you."

"Women give birth on this planet everyday and live through it." It's not like they haven't been here before. She knows exactly what he's going to say, but maybe someday she'll win. She'll get him hard and throbbing inside her, pumping to orgasm. Her body shudders with phantom feelings.

"I don't lo-" He catches himself. They haven't said it. This isn't the time. "I don't care about those other women." He flips around in her arms, hugging her back now. His lips find her forehead and places a soft kiss there. "I only care about you. I need you, Vala."

"I need you, too." Her hand slides between his legs and cups his soft cock. "I need this."

They've talked to other messengers about birth control since they started having sex, but nothing has come up. Cam's tried to find a way to fashion her a dildo for them to play with but again, no luck. Everything has been wrong. He wishes he'd watched more random sex history shows so he'd have some idea how to make one. It's just not knowledge one thinks they'll need. Everything they try is not him and sometimes he thinks that's the big issue. She's got her mind focused on one thing. Not that he minds, but Cam wants to give her everything.

"It needs you. It wants you, baby." He hisses and her hand withdraws, too much too soon. "You saw how I just couldn't handle it just now. It's getting worse. I feel a taste of your heat against me and it's like I'm fifteen again without the recharge time."

"Wish it was with the recharge time too." 

They both grin at that. "Yeah, me too, sweetheart." He scrubs at her shoulder with his palm and then releases. "Did we make a mess of the bed? New sheets needed?"

"Nope, it's fine." 

"Lets go catch some z's than." She just nods and cleans up before following him back to bed. She'll try again. Until he gives in. Persistence pays off.

The next day is rest day. 

It's quickly become Cam's favorite day. Each family is responsible for their own meals, and gardening is a choice not a chore. They sleep in past sunrise and bring each other off slowly, managing to keep the frustrations from the night before at bay. 

There are times when it's nice to be with someone like this. He feels like he knows he body better than he's known the body of any woman he's ever been with before. He's been forced to take his time and learn her, get creative and figure out the things that make her melt. 

She's done the same with him. She can reduce him to a whimpering mess with such little effort. If there's one thing he can't complain about on this planet, it's all the time he gets to spend with her. 

They bathe together - saving time and water, so they can use the rest of what is already heated to make lunch. They work together in the midday sun outside for a while, creative things to share and trade. There's not much to do around the house; Cam would like to feel like the man of the hour, but the truth is that Vala can handle things quite well herself and spends more time there. 

In the afternoon children run up and down the dirt road, chasing toys and balls and the small domesticated animals some of them keep as pets. Cam finds himself watching them, smiling and rolling the ball back toward them when it strays too far away. Cam and Vala are part of the village now, they're known and accepted by everything. The children chatter easily at them. 

Cam's favorite is a little girl with sweet blonde curls. Vala's child wouldn't look anything like that, he knows, but she has the snap to her attitude that he knows their kid would have. She sulks and pouts and charms her way into being carried around, being given treats and toys. 

It makes him laugh. Vala calls him a sucker, and he is. 

What he doesn't see is the way Vala looks at him when he's drawn into the game they're playing, kicking the ball around but curbing the force behind it to make the kids feel like they're really beating him. She thinks he'd be a fantastic father and the idea of motherhood terrifies her but she's beginning to accept it as an eventuality. 

Maybe if Cam's a good enough father, she can just learn from him.

He catches her watching him and thinks there might be a problem. "Hey, baby." He kisses her in a swift greeting. "Something up?"

"No." She shakes her head not wanting to reveal anything. 

Cam pulls her inside, threading their fingers together. The children protest losing on of their playmates and he just grins and waves to them while still sticking with Vala. "You looked a little intense like there was something wrong..."

Vala sighs, not really knowing what to say. "Really, it's nothing."

"If it was nothing than you'd tell me. So it must be something." He brushes his lips over hers, not kissing yet just touching. "Don't make me pry it out of you..." 

His breath is hot against her mouth and she wants him to kiss her but every time she leans forward to capture his lips he falls back, keeping them close but not connected. "Cameron..." His name is a whimper and a whine all at once and she's really not in the mood to ruin their perfect off day. 

"Tell me..." His tongue laps at the corner of her mouth, a wisp of inspiration. "Please..."

"Why?"

"Because I like to know everything about you." He kisses her lightly for giving a little. Rewarding her good behavior. "It won't make me angry or make me think you're silly. Everyone has strange thoughts."

"I was just..." She sighs and goes to sit on the couch. "You're really good with those kids."

"They're good kids." He sites next to her not wanting her to weasel away and get out of talking. "It's easy."

"Not for me." She props her head in her hand, elbow on her knee, and looks at him. "I'm not fit to be a mother."

Now he understands what that look was. The one she almost hid in time when he turned to smile at her. "You want to be a mother?"

Vala doesn't know the right answer. If she says yes, then, well, then they could have sex. Real sex. But if she says no he might be hurt. "I don't know." A cop out, but it is what it is and she really doesn't know.

He starts stroking and petting her head. Trying to soothe her jumbled feelings. "That's not something I can decide for you, love."

"It would be so much easier if you did." Vala lays down, her head falling into his lap. "Sometimes it's easier if one's choice is taken away. To push past the the fear."

Cam understands why she'd be scared. "You know what I think?" She shakes her head against him and his hand wanders her body, touching only gently and soothingly. "I think you'd be the best mom."

She looks up at him and he strokes his fingers through her hair. "My last child tried to overtake the universe, Cameron." 

"Your last child wasn't really a child." He keeps his tone as kind as possible, but still firm. "Adria wasn't yours. You didn't make her. They just put her in you." 

"She was part me, though. They needed her to be partly from me for their plan to work..." 

"But the part that was you... there's no way that could have overcome the rest." He presses a finger to her bottom lip when she starts to reply again, and she kisses it instead of speaking. "Vala, you didn't make Adria evil. Hell, the only good part to her was that she loved you. You know she did." 

Vala's unsure, so she doesn't answer. 

"We're not ready for a kid yet, anyway," Cam says. "I want this, okay? Me and you. But we've only been together really a couple of months. If something happened, we'd make it work... but in any other situation we wouldn't be talking babies after two months." 

Vala wants to point out that his dating history and hers vary massively. He still, and probably always will, have a very Tauri perspective on how things are supposed to happen. 

Vala's father once tried to sell her to a glorified breeding program for airfare off of a planet. He might have succeeded, too, if Vala hadn't taken such graphic lengths to ensure the man attempting to buy her wouldn't be in the shape to breed for weeks, possibly months. 

She sits up and crawls into Cam's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Cameron." 

"You don't need to thank me for anything." 

"Not even what you did this morning with your tongue..." In an instant, the mood shifts. 

He grins and leans in to kiss her. "Okay, you can thank me for that."

"Mmm good." She keeps kissing him. "I know today is a rest day, but..." She's already kissing her way along his neck, hands tickling at his ribs. "Actually... You just rest there." 

Cam's already breathing harder and grinning as she slides down his body. "You're so accommodating to the-" He hisses as she nuzzles his crotch through his pants. "Situation." He rubs at her shoulder and scoots down to the edge of the couch. 

She grins up as she undoes the line of buttons. "I like to give you what you want, darling. Plus-" She's pulling his half hard cock out of his pants and skimming over it with the tips of her fingers. "I'm thanking you for that thing you did with your tongue..."

They don't talk anymore after that. It's mostly a cacophony of Cam's moans and grunts and the sounds of her using her mouth so enjoyably along his dick.

She uses only her fingers at first, tracing all the lines, taking delight in watching him swell and harden under her touch. She can't resist tasting him shortly after he's reached full mast and starts kissing gently along the sides, licking at random spots, releasing his balls from his boxers and inhaling the spicy scent of his arousal before taking one into her mouth and sucking. His fingers close around her shoulder and she loves how reactive he is. 

After a few more minutes of teasing she gets to work. Taking the head in her mouth she sucks with gusto and gets rewarded with a surge of pre-come and a moan of her name. She grips the base with one hand and the other plays with his balls, light squeezes and soft rolling across her palm. Her tongue plays under the ridge of his weeping cock as her lips slide up and down. Fucking him with her mouth is something she'll never get tired of. He's all man and musk and salt. It's a huge turn on for her to know that he gets so much out of her doing this for him. 

Vala keeps swapping patterns and rhythms, teasing too slow with ones he loves, fast and swapping too soon for the ones she knows he likes long. He's hot and throbbing in her hand and mouth and for a moment she pulls back and just looks at him. The red, aching head and shaft make her proud. She's done this to him and it's only for her. 

"Vala..." He whines as he pants hard, so close to the edge. She can see his fingers twitching on the couch and feel them close to her neck, begging her back to him. "Please, baby..."

"I like to look at my work." Cam glances down at his own erection and his hips buck up looking for relief as he gets a view of her handy work. "Are you close?"

"So, so close." 

A small bubble of cum frees itself from his dick at his admittance to being so on edge. Orgasm threatening to find it's own end. Vala doesn't want to lose out on the fun, however. "I wish I could put it inside me..." She watches more insistent liquid drool from the stretch hole of his penis. "Mouth will have to do."

His gasp is sharp as she covers his cock again. She's working in earnest now. Wanting to take his seed inside her throat. She hums and groans against him, bumping the tip on the soft flesh of the back of her throat. She's gotten good at not gagging in the last two months but she still isn't able to get him in any further. He's bucking against her and she's glad to let him rut. A flattening of her tongue and rapid motion against his dick send him over. He's calling for her and trying to warn for the inevitable. She just sucks harder, presses and squeezes and then he's there. His balls jerk in her hand and the hot fluid shoots into her throat. Come fills her mouth and then she starts swallowing. She holds him perfectly until he's finishes. His fingers go from almost painful to a soft, soothing stroking on her shoulder. That's when she pulls back, carefully cleaning him off all the evidence, putting him back in his pants and then crawling up, returning to her spot on his lap.

"Hope that was a good way to thank you." She just grins and kisses him.

He's kissing back with sated passion. "If there's a better way, I can't think of it."

"Well, you are easy." She guides his arm across her, until he's holding her against him. He's slack, relaxed and blissed out right now. "Did I tell you that they're having a dance next weekend in town?" 

"Dance?" Cam hasn't heard anything about that. "Some sort of holiday or something?" 

She shrugs. "Probably. I didn't listen to much to the details. I just know that they're performing music and the women are all gathering together to make the food ahead of time. I've requested that there be pie." 

"Well, of course you did," Cam says, laughing. 

"So will you take me?" She turns the question on him, pointedly. "We've never been on a date." 

"Uh... yeah, of course. I mean... of course." Cam realizes that she's right but he's still caught off guard by it. "Of course I will." 

She beams at him. "Good. I'm going to make a new dress. You should get new clothing, too. Clean up well for me." 

"Yes, ma'am," he says. "If we were back home, I'd take you out on a date. The whole nine yards." 

"Yeah? Tell me," she instructs him. Lately he seems to find more comfort and less pain in talking about things that remind him of home. She still doesn't bring it up, though. 

"I'd make dinner reservations. Get you flowers, maybe some jewelry... or candy." 

"And. Flowers, jewelry, and candy." 

"Okay, flowers, jewelry, and candy." Cam amends his statement. "I'd pick you up in my Mustang." 

"Ooh, the fast car!" Vala's excited by that. Cam wouldn't even let her sit in the car before. "Really?"

"Of course really." He kisses her jaw. "I'd pick you up and take you the restaurant, and then maybe out to a show or dancing or something." 

"You? Dancing?" The thought makes her smile. 

"For you, I'd dance." He pushes her hair back from her face again. "There's not much I wouldn't do for you, Vala."

That makes her gleeful. She's in the same boat but it's nice to hear. "I'd do mostly anything for you, too."

"Mostly?" He acts hurt. 

"Well you said almost!" She scoots up him, wiggling around. "Mostly is the same... mostly."

"Well, I suppose." He kisses her ear and lets his fingers slide over her back. "Do you need me to do anything right now?"

She's quiet for a minute, just thinking. "I wouldn't be opposed to you making dinner."

"Just dinner?" He teases. They both know only one of them came earlier. 

Vala pulls him to the side so they're laying tight together facing on their sides on the couch. She plays with the bits of hair at his temple. "I wouldn't be opposed to a repeat of the famous tongue trick."

He starts at her wording. "Famous?"

"Well some of the ladies and I-"

"Vala, please tell me that you're not talking about what we do in bed with the town women..." He groans at the reaction to the question already knowing that she does just from her look. "You do..."

"I'm just trying to help them." She shrugs. "You are quite a catch in their eyes. I guess the tongue thing hasn't really caught on here. But I feel that there will be a change of weather."

Cam thinks about some of the strange looks he's been getting randomly when he works with different men in the fields. "How long?"

"Just a few weeks..."

"Vala..." He knows it's been longer.

She twists her lips prettily and sighs. "Okay, about a week after we first started... but it's hard not to have someone to gossip with."

"How am I ever going to show my face in town now?"

"Darling, it's not your face they'll be staring at..." That makes him turn beet red and she laughs. "With good reason."

"I hate you," he says, absolutely deadpan. 

"No," Vala shoots back. "You love me." 

She gives him a peck on the mouth and then hops up. 

"What? Where you going?" He sulks. 

"You can't very well make dinner when I'm in your lap, now can you?" She points out. "You can do the other part after. Right now, I'm hungry." 

He grumbles. "Fine, fine. What do you want?" 

"I thiiiiiinkkkk...." She takes her time, pondering it. "I want burgers. We've got that meat left over, and a loaf of bread. Oh, and fries!" 

"Burger and fries?" He smiles. It's actually one of his favorite things to make. "Okay, that sounds good. Get the fire going while I grab the stuff from outside?" 

"Nope." She settles back down on their sofa, stretching out. "Dinner is all you. Blowjob, remember?" 

He rolls his eyes. "Fine." 

It doesn't actually take him that long to go get the fire going and bring in the meat from where it's kept, nice and cool. He gets the patties made (not exactly ground beef, but close) and cuts up the tubers for a close approximation of fries. The little house begins to take on a wonderful smell of food. 

Vala's stomach starts to growl and her impatience gets the better of her. She heats up beans to go with the meal and goes to fetch a couple of slices of pie from the one she'd made the day before. 

It's a lot of food for the two of them, but Vala can match him bite for bite. Between the two of them they clear their plates, sitting across from each other and talking the whole time. 

"Princess, you sleepy?" He grabs her hand and plays over her knuckles. She's been yawning since they started dessert. She nods a little and Cam grins. "Why don't you hop into bed and I will finish out here."

"Mmmm not going to sleep though. Just gonna lay there..." She kisses his cheek as he starts to wash dishes and heads to get ready for bed. She strips down and then decides to soak in the tub instead of just getting into bed. She puts in some of her bath salts, she's still working on perfecting them. Just a small pinch does it and the room smells like lavender and mint. When the tub fills she's quick to get in and submerge herself in the heat. 

Even though she's done barely anything all day the warmth envelopes her and she starts rubbing her rag all over her skin. It's a bit scratchy, but perfect for exfoliating, it keeps her skin soft just like Cam likes it. She breathes deeply and listens to the sounds of Cameron clanking around in the kitchen. He's humming to himself, knowing that she's listening and would make fun of his actual singing. Her hands trail up and down her legs and she decides to shave. Her razor is getting dull and it's getting harder to make it work. There's a promise of a new one but Cam hasn't had time to work on it. 

"Hope you like hairy legs." She lets her head fall back to look out into the other room. His footsteps get closer and she puts a big smile on her face.

Cam's stroking her hair away from her face and grinning back at her upside-down-ness. "Did you say something?" 

Her leg pops into the air and she waves her razor around. "I'm going to be like a beast soon."

He pulls the dull lady bic from her grasp. "Even if you are I wouldn't care." His fingers trail across the backside of her knee. "I can help you though."

"You're going to help me?" Wiggling her ankle she lets him hold her heel and lather up calf. 

"No, I'm going to do it for you." His own shaving kit is within reach so he props her foot on his thigh while he gets the razor out. He sharpens it and then begins shaving her leg, very carefully. Slow, smooth, delicate strokes. Much gentler than he is with his own face. After he's done with leg one he moves on to the next one. Sharpening his razor again and then treating it the same. It's faster than the first. "Better?"

"You tell me." She rinses the second leg and then hands it back for his inspection. His palm smooths up and down the calf muscle and she shivers as he tickles he bottom of her foot before letting her leg fall back into the water. 

Cam gets up, kisses her on her forehead and starts going back to the kitchen. "It's ready for my tongue."

"You're doing that for me every time," Vala announces when she steps out of the bath, just a towel wrapped around her. 

Cam takes care of cleaning up himself while she dries her hair. It's a pleasant routine, nice and domestic. 

It's not something he'd have back on earth. Definitely not before, probably not if they had to go back now. The SGC is a little iffy on letting officers run off with aliens, especially aliens that have proven to be a threat. Vala might have saved their asses but on paper she's caused more trouble than she's solved. 

They wouldn't just let her live with Cam. They probably wouldn't even let her live off base, and even if he did manage to get a pass on a relationship with her they definitely wouldn't be allowed to both still serve on the same team. 

For good reason. He's pretty sure his objectivity is shot by now, anyway. He walks into the bedroom and sees her stretched out there half asleep waiting on him. 

"There you are," she says, scooting back and folding down the covers a bit. 

He climbs in beside her, pulling her to him and just kissing her. He can't hope that they stay here forever but he can be glad that he's got this while he is here, at least. 

"What was that for?" She gives him a happy smile." 

He shrugs, one hand playing with her hair. "Just being you." He goes in for another kiss. She returns it but he can tell theres something a little lackluster. "What's wrong?" 

"I'm just tired." She pats his chest apologetically. "Would you mind horribly if we just went to sleep?" 

"Headaches already?" He teases. She doesn't actually get the joke, of course. 

"No, just tired. I think a night of sleep will make me feel better. Someone kept me up last night..." She walks two fingers up his chest. 

"Guilty," he says. "And yeah, of course I don't mind."

He holds her close as she falls into a deep sleep quickly. She's warm but after the bath she's soaked in that's to be expected. Cam's fingers trail over her skin unable to not touch her and he puts himself to sleep that way. 

*

When morning arrives the light wakes Cam and he stretches and sits up. Vala is still asleep and he gives her shoulder a nudge. "Come on, Princess." A kiss on the ear. "Time to wake up."

She groans and pulls the covers up. "Cameron..."

Something in her voice is off, but he can't place what. "Wakey, wakey." He's tickling at her neck, a trick that usually works, but this time he just feels how hot her skin is. "Vala, you're sick."

"No, I'm fine. I am just tired." She rolls onto her back and makes a valiant effort to open her eyes. The extra sleep seems to have added more things. Last night she just felt exhausted now she's aching all over and sure she's running a fever. "Gotta get up and help. Big lunch plans today..."

As she tries to sit up Cam pushes her back into bed. "Don't even think about it. You're sick. Tell me what's wrong and I'll go talk to the doctor." He tucks some stray hair behind her ear and feels her forehead with the back of his hand. "Baby, you're burning up."

"I do feel a little hotter than normal. I just thought it was sleeping next to you, my little bed stove." She sighs and lets Cam inspect. He's already started pulling back the covers. "You won't find anything. I'm pretty sure this is an internal sick, not a bump on the knee." She musters a smile as he checks her knee anyway and leaves a small kiss there before being satisfied that it's not being caused by a festering sliver. 

"Out with it." Cam starts rubbing her upper arm. "List your symptoms."

"I'm tired."

"I gathered..."

She sticks her tongue out. "Just being thorough..." She doesn't give him a chance to mock her, although she's happy that he's not that worried yet and still can make a joke. "Fever, aching-"

"Where are you aching?" 

His fingers start automatically rubbing around trying to soothe her pain and Vala knows then that she loves him. She was pretty sure before but now, the way he's already trying to make it all better, it's obvious to her. "I love you."

"Vala," He's not sure if it's delirium setting in or if it's her. He's hoping that it's her. How does she pick the worst time for things? "Where?"

"I love you here." She lets her finger settle on his lips and then trail down to random points of his person marking each stop with a here. "Think that's everywhere."

"Is that the fever talking?" Cam is wary and the goofy look on his face doesn't help direct him.

"No," She grabs his hand and places it above her left breast. "My heart."

"Oh, baby." He leans in and kisses her softly. He's not going to reciprocate yet, not until she's better. "Please tell me where it hurts."

"All my joints and my back."

Cam smiles, pretty sure the back is a lot of joints, but he doesn't say anything. "Anything else?"

Vala closes her eyes and takes a mental rundown. "Think I'm stomach achy, too." She continues her internal journey and opens her eyes. "But that's it."

"That's it, huh?" His lips pass across her forehead and he gets up. "You go back to sleep if you can. I'm going to get dressed, let them know I won't be at work today and stop by the doctor. You gonna be okay until I get back?"

"Mmmhmmm." She mumbles and then hears what he says. "But I'm fine, you should go to work. And I love you."

"Princess, I wouldn't go to work with you sick. You wouldn't if it were me, either." Cam gets up and rushes through his morning routine. He comes into the bedroom before leaving and tucks the blankets around her tighter. "I'll be back soon." He's not sure if she hears him but there is a small grunt that he takes as acknowledgement.

He is a little hesitant about leaving her alone but when he checks on her after getting dressed, she's asleep - tossing and turning, but asleep. He quickly heads to one of his neighbors, trying to catch the guy before he leaves for the field. He's not in Cam's unit but he's only one unit away so he won't have any problem passing along the message. His wife listens in with a worrying frown, but when Cam lists the symptoms she sighs. "Your home village didn't give you kethil as a child?" 

"Kethil?" Cam doesn't bother trying to cover or pretend he isn't confused. Right now he's willing to sound like an idiot if it makes Vala better. 

"It's a medicine that our healer makes, and if given to a child over a period of time it protects against some of the illnesses that insects can carry. It sounds as though Vala's contracted one of those. Though maybe she's just eaten bad meat-" 

Cam shakes his head. "We had the same thing last night, and I feel fine." 

"Go to the healer, then - I'm afraid she'll say just what I have, but perhaps not. She'll help Vala, Cam." He gets a warm pat on the arm and then thanks them for their help. 

*

Vala's asleep again when Cam returns with the healer. She wakes at the inspection, trembling and whining. 

It doesn't take long for the healer to tsk and get to her feet. "I'll be back in an hour. Make her soup - she'll need liquids in her, no matter how unpleasant it might be." 

Cam doesn't realize entirely what she means until after he's given Vala some of the broth that they've had left over from dinner a few nights before. It's barely half an hour before Vala is twisting and crying out, hand first flying to her stomach then to her mouth. 

It's a hint that Cam gets right away. He helps Vala into the bathroom, where she promptly undoes any good that the broth might have done. The healer said that she needed liquids in her but after a few minutes of retching she refuses more soup. He wipes the sweat off of her forehead with a dampened cloth and then helps her back into bed. 

* 

The healer returns with a large basket full of things. There's medicine to give Vala when she wakes and then again mid-day and before sleep, medicine for her stomach when she feels sick and something to help her sleep though Cam can't give her that but once a day. There are also supplies to help keep her fed and hydrated - juice from a very tart sort of fruit, not sweetened like they normally drink, a certain type of bread that is supposed to settle her stomach, and what promises to be a very, very bland soup. 

Cam sort of hopes that the healer will stay around, but she has a birth to attend to and leaves after giving him only a quick rundown that makes his head spin. He tries to organize the medicines on the table and scribbles in a thick blunt pen the instructions before he forgets, then puts the food and juice away except for one think chunk of the bread and a glass of the juice. The healer had gotten the first dose into Vala but it'll be up to Cam to give her more in a couple of hours. 

She wakes up once, while he's out of the room, and calls out for him. He drops what he's doing and hurries back to her.

She's moaning on the bed when he gets in and he fumbles around with the list that he's made trying to find the right combination. "Baby, what's hurting?"

Her hand grabs his and she pulls him down next to him. "I'm cold." He's like a heater and she curls against him. "Warm me up?"

Her voice is cracking, he can tell that she's dehydrated. "What else hurts, hon?" He wraps his arms around her and makes sure she's feeling his heat. Her skin is already hot and he knows that she's feverish. He's on the verge of panic and he doesn't know why, well, he knows why, but not why it's effecting him so much. His fingers rub at her neck. "Tell me, love."

"Love you." She cuddles into him already feeling better.

"Okay, I meant tell me what hurts." She's so delirious but it's still adorable. "I wanna help it not hurt." She's still not giving him anything so he asks some more. "Your tummy? Back? Head?" He kisses her forehead and she grumbles because of him pulling back to reach it.

"Just cold." 

She sounds so tired. "Let me get some of this medicine in you, alright?"

"Don't go." 

The pathetic tone almost convinces him but he just tucks the blankets tighter around her and gets up. "I'll be right here and get back in after you take your medicine."

"Medicine is gross." She turns her face into the pillows and tugs the blankets over her head. "Also feel gross."

Cam uses one hand to pull hair out of her face so she can turn back to look at him. "We'll talk about a bath after you take this."

"After snuggling?" Vala tries for a smile but she's sure it's more of a grimace.

The medicine is ready and he hands it down to her, she shivers as the blankets fall down and he feels bad. Also not at all jealous that she has to drink that disgusting mixture. "Good girl." He takes the cup back and wipes it clean. "Now move over so I can get back in there with you."

They're cuddled back together in no time and Cam's rubbing over her back and thighs. He knows he's going to get overheated. He wiggles out of his shirt and she seems to like that more because she sighs and falls into a deeper sleep.

Vala sleeps for most of the day. Cam finds himself at a loss for what to do; he can't leave in case she needs him but after she's taken the medicine there isn't really anything to do. 

He cooks - enough for her, though he's not sure if she'll want it. In the end he puts it down in the hole where they keep things cool, planning on having it for breakfast the next morning.

The healer had said that Vala would need care for the first week at least. The first week - apparently it could take up to two before her symptoms abated. The medicine takes a while to get in her system. He just has to make sure she takes it, every dose, and hope that they've caught it early enough. 

The healer had seemed encouraged by Cam saying that she hadn't shown any symptoms the day before. Whatever this is, it came on over the course of one night. He gets back in bed and pulls her into his arms, kissing her bared shoulder. He remembers the worry on the healer's face, the way she pointedly hadn't said what would happen if the medicine didn't do what they expect it to. 

Maybe the healer is wrong completely, he thinks. Maybe she doesn't have the serious... thing. Maybe she'll wake up in the morning and this will just be a bug that she's overcome. Maybe... 

* 

Vala dreams all night long. Some of them are awful - dying, death, burning. Sometimes she's watching other people die. Sometimes it's Cameron and she can't reach him in time. Daniel, Sam, her mother, Adria... sometimes it's a screaming baby that wants its mother. 

Sometimes the dreams are nice, though. A wedding, twirling around in a white dress in the arms of someone whose face she can't quite see. She likes it, though. In those dreams, she's happy. 

In one of them she's pregnant with another baby in her arms, but then everything around them gets too-warm and the baby is crying and there's aching pain in her back - not where the baby is, but behind it radiating out. In the dream she's losing the baby, falling to her knees and dropping the other one. 

She wakes after that one drenched in sweat. Cameron puts a cool cloth on her face and tries to make her more comfortable while getting more of the fever medicine into her. She throws back up right away and he runs a bath, just wanting to make her more comfortable. 

*

She falls back asleep in the bath, body limp and drained, even the meager energy she'd had during their conversation earlier completely zapped away. She sleeps for hours and hours and he has to wake her to get the morning medicine into her. She doesn't notice that there are dark circles around his eyes and that he hadn't slept at all the night before. She doesn't really notice anything, isn't really aware of anything.

* 

After three days there isn't much improvement. Cam's worried. He's had the healer out multiple times and she doesn't seem to be overly concerned which doesn't calm him down any. He does what he can to keep her comfortable but she keeps getting weaker and he's so tired.

He can't sleep well, she's tossing and turning all night caught in her fevered dreams. The couch isn't good for him and he's much too far away to hear her call for him. He's frightened that he's going to fall asleep so hard and not hear her when she wakes or get her medicine in at the proper times. Cam fights through though. There is no choice. 

The islands version of coffee keeps him going and the motivation to get her healthy pushes him on. Cat naps here and there tide him over for a time but he can feel the exhaustion in his bones now. He's starting to ache, luckily he knows it's not the illness. The healer dropped off the local immunity serum for him to take and he's been building up his resistance. Not that he can catch it from her. As far as he can tell it is like Malaria on Earth.

She's flailing in the room and he hears her knock the water glass to the floor. "Vala." He's kneeling beside her trying to ease her from her nightmare. He fears that she has bad dreams that far outnumber the good. "Baby, come on. Wake up."

He can hear how sleep deprived he is even in his voice. It's cracking and strained. He lays next to her, holding and soothing with hands, lips and voice. It seems to work she's slowing her movement and her eyes open slightly. "Cam?"

"Yeah, honey." He kisses her forehead, his favorite way to monitor her fever. "You're burning up. Bath?"

She just nods. "So tired." 

"I know you are, princess. I need you to fight through this though." He's so afraid. Her eyes tell him that she can hear that fear in his voice. "I'll get the tub ready and I need you to drink your meds and eat a little soup. Alright?"

"Don't wanna eat..." Her stomach cramps at the thought. "Please..."

He wants to cry. To breakdown and give up. But that's never an option and especially not now. "You gotta eat, love. For me. Please?"

She gives a pathetic little nod. They both know in the end its not really up to her if she can keep food down or not; her stomach will dictate that. But she's had good luck with a vegetable broth that gives her some protein and a little bit of stamina when she's able to keep some down. 

By now word has spread that Vala is ill and people stop in once or twice a day. Cam has little patience for them, but once or twice he lets someone else sit with Vala just so he can sleep for a couple of hours. 

He runs the bath water and leaves her in it so he can heat up some of the soup. They've had the best results with it lukewarm, not so cold nor so hot that it shocks her system. He gets the next dose of medicine ready - this one is sludgy and purple and the worst, but it knocks her out for most of the afternoon and she's usually got a few somewhat energetic minutes in the early evening where she can talk to him coherently before the medicine wears off and the fever comes back. 

The bath does her well, and gives him a chance to change the bedding, too. Every morning it ends up soaked in her sweat but he hasn't been able to keep it changed fast enough. When it's made up again he goes back into the bathroom and helps her up, patting her hair dry and braiding it the way that she's asked him to, loose to avoid giving her a headache but enough to keep it out of her way in bed. 

She lets out an almost happy sound when she crawls back in between the sheets, but her eyes are still open. She's tired, but fighting it, so he joins her on the bed. 

"Cameron?" Even her voice is weak. "This truly... truly... sucks." 

He laughs, leaning in and kissing her forehead. "It really does." 

"But you're all right? Not sick?" She's been doing this a lot too; he can't tell if she wants to keep asking him because she's afraid the answer will change or if she doesn't remember having already asked. 

"Just fine, baby." He pulls her to him while he can, while his body heat isn't stifling to her. "I'm perfectly fine. Just wanting you to get better." 

"Trying." She reaches out and strokes her fingers over his brow. "I'll have to make all of this up to you." 

"No, you don't." He catches her hand and kisses her fingertips.

She curls her fingers against him slightly and tugs on his lower lip. "But you'd like it."

"I'm sure I would." He reaches the bedside table and grabs the soup. "Eat." She tries to push it, but he's insistent. "You promised."

Her groan is one of expected pain, but she takes it. The first sip makes her cringe but she trudges onward. After a few more sips she takes a break, lets it settle in her stomach, then goes again. "Not bad..."

"My soup cooking is all the rage." He knows that's not what she meant but likes to keep it light. He's happy with the way she's keeping it down so far. 

The cup he's filled with broth is small and she's able to finish it off. He asks if she wants more but she feels an odd full feeling and shakes her head. "Medicine?"

"Yeah, it's the gross one though..." He sits up against the headboard and pulls her between his legs. Her head is cushioned on his thigh and he can rub her stomach from this angle. "You seem a little better." The biggest clue that her supper isn't on his lap right now.

She just lets her eyes droop, needing to rest them even though they've been closed for the majority of the past few days. "Dunno." She sighs and snuggles into him, wrapping her arms around his leg and hugging. "Do I have to drink the gross stuff?"

"You know the answer." She nods against his thigh.

"Just hoping I would be wrong." 

The sound that comes out almost sounds like a laugh and that makes Cam grin. "Want it now or in a little bit?"

She thinks about the medicine's consequences first. "Little bit. Talk to me?"

"Not much to say. The townsfolk have been helping, taking care of our animals, helping with yard stuff, covering for us in town and in the fields."

She turns and looks up at him. Really sees him for the first time in a long time. She knows the medicine is wearing off and her joints are aching again, nothing unbearable yet. "You look so tired, Cam." Her hand tries to touch his face but she's too tired. "Sleep with me?"

"Are you propositioning me?" He traces her ear and then grabs her hand in his. "Don't think I'm up to it, right now. Headache." Forgetting she doesn't understand the jest.

"Your head hurts?"

"No, baby, just making a joke." She grimaces and goes back to resting in his lap. "Time for the good stuff?"

"Only if you mean you mixed it with chocolate..."

"Just pretend I did." He hands her the cup and she drink obediently and quickly. "Good girl."

She laughs a little. "I'm not a child, Cameron." 

"No, you're not." He doesn't laugh back, just sounds thoughtful. 

"But," she adds. "You are welcome to continue speaking to me as if I were one as long as you keep rubbing my stomach while you do it. That feels amazing. I've barely moved off of the bed, how do I feel so sore all over?" 

"You've been sick a lot," Cam reminds her. "Muscles are probably sore." 

"Yes." She whines. "They are. Make that stop." 

This time he does laugh. "I'll try my best, okay? But you need to rest some now." 

She whines and turns over, pressing her face against his stomach. "Why do you hate me so? My mouth still tastes yucky. Can I have some water?" 

"Vala..." He pushes back curls of hair that have escaped her braid. "Of course you can. How about some juice, too?" 

She nods and rolls away and goes back to hugging the pillow in a loose grasp, eyes on Cam as he walks out of the room. 

He comes back a minute later with water and half a glass of the juice. He's glad she likes it; it's not a horrible chaser for the medicine and the healer had been right, somehow her stomach does handle it much better than just about anything else. 

He sits beside her until she falls asleep again, but it doesn't take long. 

*

By day five, she's stopped throwing up. She still sleeps most of the day and her fever seems to have intensified. He has to work extra hard to keep her cool. Twice he completely convinces himself that he isn't doing what he needs to do and she's going to die; twice he sends for the healer, has the neighbor kid run into town. But he's always told the same thing; continue with the medicine, whatever happens happens. 

On day six the fever breaks and doesn't get that bad again. It's low grade, still enough that he knows she isn't better but she isn't hallucinating and crying out quite so much. 

The stretches of waking time last longer, too. She graduates back up to the chicken soup and prefers sitting up in bed, but she still clings to Cam like nothing else.

He's happy to be there for her. It's not rocket science, it's easy to read that she needs him, needs to have the contact and needs to know that she's still alive even if it is a delirium induced vision at times. Now that the fever has broken, for the most part, it's a welcome relief. 

"Vala, baby, how about some mashed potatoes tonight? Feeling up to that?" He rubs her knee as he sits next to her on the bed.

She pats her stomach, scrunches up her face, and tilts her head. "Maybe... I'd like to try." She nods slowly, confirming her decision with herself.

"Good." It actually makes him giddy. "I'll go boil them. They'll be bland, but something new." He squeezes her knee and leans in and kisses her cheek before heading in to the kitchen. "Want some juice?"

That does sound good. "Yes, can you bring a full glass? I'm feeling much thirstier these days."

"It's so good to hear. I've lost years of my life this week..."

Vala worries about him now. She sees the dark circles lingering under his eyes and the weariness in his walk. "You need your rest. I should start taking care of you again."

"Don't even think about it. You stay in that bed. I'm fine." He fetches her juice after he starts the water and potatoes. The juice is cooler than he was giving it to her when she was still deathly ill, but it tastes better cool and she seems to appreciate it when he watches her take the first sip. 

"This juice is something I might develop a taste for. Can we get it when not super sick?"

Cam takes her glass when she's finished and shrugs. "I haven't thought much about later. Just about getting you better."

"Can you find out?" She wiggles her glass wanting more. "These really are small cups." 

A big chuckle leaves him as he brings her a refill. "You want to come out here while I cook?" She's been looking so much better and he likes her company.

She smiles at his suggestion and swings her legs over the bed, slowly. "I might need some help." She's still weak from a week in bed and achy joints and dehydration. "I'll be strong again soon, though."

"You will, Princess."

He gets her settled at the kitchen table, refills her juice and keeps up a steady stream of conversation. "You know," he says, at point while while mashing the boiling potatoes, "you're pretty popular around here. Every day I get half a dozen people popping in to check on you." 

"And feed you," Vala points out. She can see the baked goods on the counter - muffins and loaves of bread. "Did Charot bring you that thing she baked with the eggs and the cheese inside the bread?" 

"Yeah, and you are learning how to cook that," Cam says emphatically. 

Vala just laughs softly. "I tried, darling. She's not coming off of that recipe." 

"Well, you have ways to getting things that aren't supposed to be yours, now don't you?" Cam grins at her, implying her history of less than honest dealings. 

"Why, Cameron! Are you suggesting I steal it..." 

"Who, me? No way." He starts to separate out some of the potatoes into a bowl and leaving the rest for her to enjoy later. 

He doesn't give her too much, not since she's already had so much juice, but Vala seems more than content with something more solid than soup filling her stomach. She's full before she's even done with that and her eyelids are harder and harder to keep open. Cam notices but he also notices how hard she's fighting sleep and that's encouraging, too. If she's being stubborn then she really is getting better. 

He cleans up the dishes around her, giving her a few more minutes, and then rests a hand on the back of her neck. He rubs slightly and she means, sinking back into the touch. 

"Come on, princess. Bedtime," he says. She gets to her feet and her knees buckle under her. "Whoa." 

He reaches down and scoops her up easily. She hadn't weighed much before but she's painfully thin after a week of barely eating. She rests her head on his shoulder and he thinks that she might be asleep before he even puts her down on the bed.

*

Breakfast consists of more juice, mashed potatoes and medicine. She seems to happily eat it and relief washes over Cam watching her finish her food, even if it is a meager amount. 

"Maybe we can add some boiled eggs for lunch with some toast." Cam collects her dishes and comes back in after grabbing a quick bite for himself. "Want to spend some time outside?"

Vala lifts her hands for him to help her up. "Might want to put some clothes on me first..." She's only wearing one of his shirts and Cam carries her to the bathroom to take care of her morning routine. Cam gathers an outfit and goes back in. "Do I have time to soak for a bit?"

"Whatever you want, love." He doesn't waste time and fills the tub. "Want the bath salts?" He's been leaving them out, wanting to be able to smell only her, feeling like he'd be able to tell if she was getting better. 

"Just soap is fine." It feels perfect when he helps her get in. Her head falls back and she closes her eyes letting the warmth wash over her. "You should get in with me."

"Need help washing?" He teases and draws along the surface of the water with his finger. 

She shakes her head, eyes still closed. "Just want a free massage."

"Always a reason." But he doesn't fight her, just strips down and slides in behind her. She slips forward to make him room and then leans back against his chest. He starts gently rubbing her shoulders and working down her arms. Her hips and belly get attention and as far as he can reach on her legs. 

His hands feel so good, making her sleepy against his body. "This is nice."

"Just nice?" He fakes offense. "Maybe I need to up my game."

"It's perfect." Her head turns and she finds his mouth with hers. "Just perfect."

* 

The idea of going outside is postponed because he can tell after the heat of the bath and the relaxing massage that she's in need of another nap. After lunch the healer comes back by and pronounces that the fever period of the sickness is gone, and the rest is just regaining strength back. She'll need to continue the medicine to make sure that she doesn't succumb again, but she's no longer in any danger. 

Cam feels so relieved he could cry. When Vala decides that afternoon that she really is ready to see the sunlight again he carefully sets up a blanket and pillow outside in their back yard. She can see their animals, and watch Cam tend to their little garden - not so little anymore, actually. They'll be nicely supplied with vegetables and some fruit until the seasons change. 

Every few minutes she demands that he take a break and come sit with her. "You're getting restless," he comments, leaning over to kiss her. "That's not good. Healer said you need a week before you're active again. Don't want to overtax your system." 

Vala sighs. "Well, it's easy to be restless when all I'm doing is lying here. I'm still tired, though." 

He knows she must be if she admits it that openly. "I know, baby. Come here." He stretches out on the blanket, enjoying the breeze that is pleasantly warm for them during the midday hours, and gestures for her to curl up beside him. She does so happily, pillowing her head on his chest and wrapping an arm snug around his middle. 

"You smell so good." She nudges at his shirt and then breathes in deeply. "All of your extra shirts are going to smell like me now." 

"Only until I wash them." Cam says, voice of reason. "We use the same soap, all of our clothes start out smelling the same way." 

"No," Vala insists. "It's different when you've been wearing it." 

He decides that it's pointless to argue with her and just laughs. "Okay. You win." 

"Yay!" She giggles a little and then tilts her head up for a kiss.

Letting her win is one of the easiest ways to please Vala and that makes him just as happy. He kisses her offered mouth and it makes them both grin. "Tell me when you get hungry, honey."

"I could eat something..." She's not sure exactly what her stomach will like but it's nice to feel like she can keep things down, even if it is in small amounts. 

Cam kisses her on the forehead and then stands up. "Wait here I'll go put some things together for you." He's not gone long and returns with juice, bread, boiled eggs, mashed potatoes and some of the blander meat. Not much spice and it's been cooked and drained so it's not so salty. Cam sets the food down then goes back for more pillows. She's already chewing on the bread when he gets back. 

"You're a good serving boy." She pushes herself up and its more taxing then she's expecting. The extra pillows behind her make eating mush easier. "What is dessert?" 

"I don't think sweets is a good idea yet." 

She whines and pouts. "But I miss sweets."

"In a few more days. You have to work up to those things. I don't want you to get sick to your stomach." Cam settles by her and starts feeding her little bits of bread with some meat tucked in. He slices pieces of egg and offers the juice when he thinks she needs some hydration. She eats about a third of what he brought out before all she will do is drink. It's a huge improvement and he'll take it. 

"Now I'm sleepy again though. Food will be my enemy for awhile I think." She plays with the hairs on the arm that's closest to her and he takes away some pillows so she's laying back again. "Can I nap out here?"

No reason not to, as far as Cam can tell. "Yeah, I'll finish up the chores out here, I've been falling behind."

It's not meant to be a jab at her and she knows it, sort of, but she still feels bad. "I'm-"

"Vala, it's fine. I'd rather spend weeks locked up nursing you to health than worry about the chores." He kisses her mouth, light and sweet. "No need to be sorry. Now sleep a bit. I'm going to check on Princess Pork. Her piglets will be here any day now. Or so the kids keep telling me."

"I want to see one of them as soon as it's born. I was thinking of making it a pet."

"You couldn't just get one of the cat type creatures? You want a pet pig?" Really, he shouldn't be surprised, when has Vala ever wanted something normal. "I don't think I could deal with a pet house pig."

"But there is plenty of room for us and a wee piggy in the bed." The aghast expression on his face makes her giggle. "Or just me and the little pig."

He drops back down and hovers over her, hands on either side of her shoulders. "Just because you're recovering doesn't mean you can mess with me like that." He leans closer, nose brushing along her nose, nuzzling down her cheeks, along her jaw, back to her ear. "Plus it would get in your way." He kisses her ear and then gets back up. "Nap, we'll talk about a pet cat later. Right now you need to get better."

"You mean we'll talk about a baby piggy later," Vala corrects him. 

Cam might argue, but she'll win. And if she doesn't, she'll wait until he's two seconds away from coming and then make him promise, and she'll win anyway. 

She really, really likes to win. 

* 

She sleeps through until the following morning, only waking when he has to give her the nighttime dose of medicine. The fact that he can stop worrying about her is nice, though; she's asleep but peaceful, her body just trying to repair the damage the sickness had done. 

In the morning he even leaves her for a little while to go to town. He writes a note and leaves it on the pillow beside her, a plate of food and more medicine on the table. He hasn't been to the marketplace in a while so he takes some of the fruit and vegetables and a few of the boxes he's made and comes back with a decent haul. 

He's not a maser in the kitchen but he can make a decent soup, this time with meat and vegetables in it to be a little more filling for her. He also gets some mint and ginger candies. He knows when Vala says she wants sweets that she means chocolate, but the candies are good and won't be too bad for her. 

She's awake when he gets back. 

"You left me!" She crosses her arms and pouts. She's still in bed, not willing to get up without the promise of Cam to keep her company. 

"But I brought you presents." 

"Ooh, presents." She claps when he hands her the small cloth bag full of hard candy.

The smile on her face when she pops a ginger candy into her mouth makes him giddy. He can't stop himself from pressing his lips to hers. He tastes the spicy candy and her own flavor. Her tongue pushes the half eaten piece into his mouth. 

"Oh, you're sharing?" The candy is good, he's glad he found something she'd be able to eat.

"That's all you get." She says as she pulls the bag behind her back. "The rest are for me."

He cracks the candy in his teeth. The sweet mingling with the spice. "Don't fall asleep then, or you might not have as many there when you wake up."

"Ha!" She flops back on the bed. "Can we go for a walk today?"

There is so much he wants to be able to do with her again. The simplicity of walking around the village. He wants that back, but he doesn't want a relapse. "You sure you can handle that?"

Her head rolls around on the pillow before she sits up and gets out of bed, walking around to his side. "Look, working legs."

"Wow, look at that." Cam grabs her hips and pulls her into the V of his legs. "Soon you'll be back up to regular strength."

Hands on his shoulders she leans in and kisses him. "Can't wait."

He kisses her back and lets her control it. Soft, gentle pulls of his lips, just a little tongue sweeping across the seam of his mouth. "Me either." She hugs him. "Thanks for taking care of me."

"No place I'd rather be, baby." He rubs up and down her back. "Lets get some pants on you and then we'll take a short walk."

*

Halfway through the walk she gets tired, he takes her arm for support but he feels frustrated with himself for the path he chose. It was too far. When their house is in sight he picks her up and she sighs in relief. 

"Sorry, Baby." He kisses her temple as he carries her back. "I made you over do it." He starts to panic a little that she'll relapse now.

She doesn't relapse but what she does do is sleep clear through to the next morning, save the brief moment of muzzled half-clarity when Cam wakes her to take her medicine. But the next morning she's awake, though with no real desire to try going for another walk just so soon. 

She is awake enough to accept some visitors, though. Cam is not the least bit surprised when three women crowd him out, while a fourth starts to take over their kitchen. Cam escapes the house full of women to get some more of the yard work done. Princess Pork still waddles around uncomfortable pregnant and pissed off about it, but the chickens have a good offering of eggs and he refills the two milk jugs that they use from the goats. 

The eggs and milk are immediately taken from him when he pops into the house to see if either are needed. 

"You, go," the woman says, pointing out the door. She's smiling but it's still definitely an order. "Go into town, have a drink, let us care for her today." 

Cam frowns. "I'd really rather stay here with Vala-" 

"Her pretty, smiling face will be here when you get back. But she has at least a week and a half's worth of town chatter to catch up on, so you'll just leave us be for a little while here, now won't you?" 

Cam's shoulders drop a little. Ingrained politeness keeps him from arguing any further with her, but he does say with certainty, "I'll be back in an hour or two." 

* 

He wanders, slightly lost, until the husband of one of the women with Vala pulls him in laughing. "They got to you, eh? They tend to do that when one of the pack goes missing a little while too long." 

"They kicked me out!" Cam is utterly offended. "Like it wasn't even my own house!" 

"Come on, then. Glass of ale with your name on it right here for you."

The ale is good. Dark, nutty with that tang of alcohol he used to love on Earth. He nurses the glass not sure what else to do. "I can probably head back to work soon..."

Huntin nods and grins. "We've missed your back. Bean harvest is beginning and the baskets are heavy and there are many of them." 

"I was planning on picking them and watching you haul them back to the wagon." 

That makes Huntin laugh. "You were going to play the part of a woman, then?" Cam's face must be hilarious because now Huntin is laughing boisterously. "Oh, your face!"

"Woman?" 

The other man is trying to catch his breath. "Yes... They come up to pick beans, smaller more precise hands."

"Ahhh..." Cam looks at his own hands and agrees that Vala's would be much more suited. "Is Vala supposed to be picking."

"Aye. She was on the list." Huntin refills his own glass of ale and then tops off Cameron's. "I'm guessing she's good with those hands." 

The wink throws Cam off a bit and he can feel his cheeks hot. "I- uh, well..."

"Why are you feeling this embarrassment. You should be proud that your wife pleases you."

"I'm..." He doesn't know what to say. The open air that everyone has around here still confuses him. Things that were always held close to himself at home seem to be discussed openly. He decides to just go for it. "She is very pleasing."

Huntin pounds him on the shoulder and Cam's grateful he wasn't taking a drink. "That's the spirit!" He hunches down close. "Now, tell me... Just how is she good with those fine hands of hers?"

Cam can feel his face heat up even more and he knows he's bright red. Something makes him wish for Vala right now. She'd know exactly what to say or do to change the subject or give him an answer that he'd be happy with that still didn't reveal a damn thing. "She's, uh... pleasing..." 

Luckily, Huntin seems to shrug and move on. "At least when you return you'll have a big dinner awaiting you. My wife will come home and claim she's too tired from helping the neighbors and make me eat cold ham."

That makes Cam chuckle. "I could whip you up something before I leave." The horrified look on Huntin's face is almost worth the chance that he'll take him up on it. "I'm passable in the kitchen."

"I'll take me chances with the cold ham." Huntin downs his ale and washes his glass. "Finish that up and take the long way back home. Should give those birds enough time to finish squawking." 

Cam swigs down the rest of the beer and washes his own glass. "Thanks, man." He gives Huntin a bro hug and heads home. Taking the scenic route like he's been warned. He browses through town and the women come out and ask about Vala. He gives the good news and gets many hugs of relief from them all. It's nice to be so well loved in a place they're struggling to make their own. He misses his home but he can't imagine an atmosphere like this back on Earth, at least in Colorado. Sure, his team would be helpful and concerned. But not this many people bringing food and wanting to help watch her and care for her. Despite the short time they've been here they've become part of the group. Taken in like family and not made to struggle on their own.

When he finishes the walk around town, now loaded with more baked goods and treats, he heads back home. He can see the women standing at the doorway waving him back.

He jogs up concerned that something is wrong. "How is she?" He's almost ashamed at the worry in his voice. 

"Oh, just fine." The first woman winks at the others. "Probably could use a good bit of sex to bring some pink back to her cheeks."

"W-W-What..." Cam stutters and almost drops the things he's carrying. "I don't-"

They're laughing at him. "Dear boy, in a couple days." He gets sympathetically patted and kissed on the cheek as they filter out.

Cam is sort of startled by the fact that for all their lack of technology, these people also seem to lack the strict sense of propriety that Cam associates with the time period these people could have come from on his own planet. They don't seem overly hindered by a sense of religious belief and though they aren't exactly free-love hippies, they don't seem to treat sex as something to be whispered about or shielded from. 

It's disconcerting and he isn't sure he's crazy about the whole town knowing his sex life, or feeling comfortable talking to him about it, but he also knows that in this situation he's the one that has to adapt, not the rest of them. 

* 

Vala's exhausted again, and while he's sad he missed her energetic and awake hours for the day he's also glad because the company seems to have done her well. She isn't asleep yet but she wants to cuddle and Cam is happy to oblige. 

She tucks herself into his arms. "Maris had her new baby over." 

"That one you said is ugly as all get out?" 

Vala turns her face into his chest and snickers. "That one. And it is still - but it's a baby. She let me hold it, and it grabbed my finger..." 

Vala sighs, and Cam looks at her. "Why are you telling me this? I get the feeling it isn't just regular story time." 

"I just..." She looks at him. "Cameron." 

"Full name. Must be serious." 

She gives him an indulgent smile at the sort-of joke. "I think we can be a little less careful." 

But to her surprise, he shakes his head. "Vala, we can't keep going in circles on this. And for one thing, you're still sick and you're gonna be weak for a while. We'll talk about it again when you're back in full health, okay?"

She begrudgingly agrees, nodding against him. "I do love you." She presses closer. "Even if you won't tell me back."

"Vala..."He wasn't sure if it was medication, fever, exhaustion or a mixture of all of it. "I want you better." He kisses her forehead. "In your right mind."

"You think I don't know what I'm saying?" It hurts. She's tired, so very tired still, but not so out of it that she doesn't know that she means it. "I know, Cam..."

"Hey, baby..." When he tries to pull her back to him she just rolls further away. His hands drift down her sides and he scoots closer, not letting her get away. "Turn around." She isn't listening and he's pretty sure that he heard a sniffle. "Please?"

"Why?" She's trying to hide it. The disappointment in knowing that she's unloveable weighs heavy on her. She knows that he's fond of her, even enjoys being with her, but it's not the same. "You don't have to say it back."

Cam's fucked up relationships before. He's not used to talking about his feelings. Not used to being with someone so openly. More often than not he found himself dropped for better offers. But it's hard to not be able to tell people what you really do. Even before he was with the SGC he was pretty high up in the clearance department. The words Air Force things didn't ever cut it. And now he's got this woman, this amazing, wonderful woman and he still isn't talking. 

He tugs at her hip again and this time he gives in, rolling back over to face him. Her eyes stare down his chest. She clears her throat in an effort to stop any tears from falling. "You don't, you know?" 

"I know." She's feeling stiff under his hands and he didn't want it to be like this. "I want to, honey... Vala. I want to."

"Okay." 

He's not sure how to make this better. "I do though." He sees the tear slip from her eyelid and he brushes it away before she can hide it. "Its just..." Her finger is stopping him from talking now and he kisses it where it lay on his lips.

"Don't..." Despite all the years of making people bow and love her, maybe because of it, she doesn't want to hear something he's not ready to say. It would lose something. "I was just a little hurt. But-"

"God, Vala-"

"No, I don't want to you to say anything." She yawns and curls up against him. The way his arms grip her tightly shows her what he can't yet say. "Just hold me, I'm sleepy."

"Always."

With that one word Vala passes out into dreamland knowing when he's ready it will be worth it.

***

Two days later, Cam starts going back to work in the fields. 

Vala's still relieved of her town duties, strictly order to take at least another week to regain her strength before she starts helping with midday meal preparation again. 

She's healthy enough to be bored, though. She finds herself missing Cam, even more than she had before. At least before she'd had work to occupy her during the day. 

She's not entirely alone, though. Much to Cam's ire, she's kept true to her promise to keep one of Princess Pork's piglets for her own. She wants all of them but he quickly vetoes that idea, and she doesn't push too hard since she does quite like the idea of having a source of meat during the winter months when hunting will be harder. 

So she won't save them all but she will keep one. She picks out the runt, surprising Cam, and names the skinny little girl Rosie. 

Rosie is surprisingly clever, which just makes her all the more annoying to Cam. She follows Vala around everywhere, sleeping at Vala's feet and whining to get on the bed when they retire for the night. Cam won't let her in bed so Vala spends one morning making a little pig bed complete with a canopy and sign over it that reads Princess Rosie the Pig. 

"You know she's not gonna fit in there for long," Cam says, surveying it when he gets home that day. 

"So. You'll just make her a larger one, then." Vala hugs Rosie to her and smiles. 

And Cam just snorts because, well, she's right. She'll ask and he will. 

* 

She's not just stir crazy during the day. 

"Cameron..." She whines, nuzzling into him. 

"You're not-" 

"Cameron, I am better," Vala says, voice firm. "I went for a walk today. A two hour walk. Rosie fell asleep on the ground and I had to carry her back. Also I had a nap this afternoon so I'm extra energetic now." 

"Why the nap?" His eyes narrow. "Were you feeling-" 

"No, I feel fine, I felt fine, everything is fine. I just wanted to be well rested for the sex marathon." 

"There is not gonna be a marathon!" 

"But there will be sex?" Her face lights up. 

He groans and rubs at his eyes, then looks at her. "I'll get you off." 

"But that's only half the fun," she pouts. "Okay, sixty percent of the fun."

"Well then the other 40% is going to have to wait." He doesn't let her argue any longer and covers her mouth with his. The kiss is slow and easy, building their arousal. One of his hands starts roaming over her body. She's so thin still, every bone he could feel before is now twice as sharp and there are new ones he's never traced. He doesn't say anything, though. He wants her to feel really good after not feeling well for so long. And if she says she wants this there is no use arguing with her anyway. "You taste good up here, baby." 

Cam's mouth starts wandering down her body. Her jawline is peppered with kisses and he licks at her neck before sucking lightly at her pulse point. Her gasp tells him it's good. His lips travel along her collarbone and his hand urges her over while his body switches positions. He's hovering over her now as her legs cradle him. Their hips are flush and he can feel the heat of her through his boxers. His body bucks against her and her legs close against his thighs, squeezing and pulling, begging for more pressure. He gives in and rubs himself along her pussy. 

"It can be 100% tonight, love." The sound of her voice has already dropped an octave. "I'm fine."

It tempts him, but he can't let that take over what he knows is right. He just shakes his head and takes a nipple between his lips, sucking hard and making her grab his hair and pull. He pops off the tight bud and looks up at her. "It's all about you."

When she tilts her head and grins back he feels her directing him to her other breast. Figuring that's her telling him that it's okay with her, she was just offering, he goes to work tasting her everywhere. 

He teases the second nipple, lapping the underside, twirling the tip of his tongue around the point. She's starting to make the gorgeous squeaking sounds, little moans and sighs and his dick is getting harder. He brings his hands up to hold her breasts tight together so he can swap back and forth between them. Nuzzling with his nose and lapping with his tongue. She's starting to roll against his belly now and he can feel the wet heat of her readiness. 

Cam takes his time moving down her body. He wants to eat her out, almost as much as she wants him to. But he loves exploring and sex is a good way to take account of his thin she is. He kisses along the slope of her ribs, the indent of her belly, the slight swell of her hips. He can smell her now, aroused spice and musk, and it's so powerful he descends quickly. The scent is fresh and clean and so her it makes him calm. She's okay, she's normal. Everything is okay. 

No more time is wasted, he parts her folds with his flingers and delicately starts licking. He can see her clit wanting at the top of her slit, but he focuses elsewhere at first. Little nibbles along her labia and letting his tongue circle her opening. When she starts whining for more he gives in. His mouth covers her little bud and gives her tiny little sucks. 

These just drive her wild. She's bucking and arching and begging for more. He swaps to one hand to hold her open and enters her with a finger with the other. His cock jerks as the wet heat surrounds his finger and she clamps down. He moves achingly slow and matches the rhythm with his mouth. Licking, sucking, fucking her all at once. She's so wet. It's dripping down his hand and tickling his palm and wrist. He adds a second finger and the gasp she exhales urges him on. His mouth and tongue amp up the pressure and soon she's there. Calling his name in pleasure.

He's rock hard when he pulls back but moves to leave and go take care of it. 

"No, stay," Vala says, reaching out, breathless and still flushed. "Do it here." 

"Vala..." 

"I won't touch, I swear. But I want you to come on me." 

He has to reach down and grab himself to relieve some of the sudden throbbing pressure that comes with her request. He's nodding before he even consciously decides, leaning on his side and reaching down. 

"Not like that," she whispers, voice dropping. "Over me. Come on my stomach." 

"Bossy." He complies quickly, straddling her hips and stroking hard and fast. 

She'd said she wouldn't touch, but of course - she'd lied. She traces the red, shining tip of his cock with one finger and then presses against the slit to smear the pre-come around. Even the gentle whisper of a touch is enough to send him over, thickly painting her stomach in lines of it. 

He feels like he's just run a marathon as his hand slows down on himself and his breathing goes back to normal. He gets up and grabs a cloth, dampens it and cleans her skin with smooth strokes over her stomach then tosses it in the general direction of their clothes hamper (missing, most likely). 

"Happy now?" He grumbles, though it's somewhat undercut by the fact that he gives in instantly to her unspoken request for afterglow cuddling. 

She kisses his stubbled jaw. "Very."

"Good." He places his lips against her forehead and rests them there for a moment, just happy and content. He's inhaling their scent and basking in this post-coital bliss.

"Did you miss it?"

"What?" Cam feels a bit slow. "When you were sick?"

"Yeah..."

"I didn't have time to think about sex. Only getting you better." He rubs at her back and sides, touching and soothing. "It's all I thought about."

Vala snuggles closer, pulls tighter to him, tries to crawl inside him. "Just don't want you having to go visit one of the towns women. They were teasing me that if I didn't recover faster they would have to take care of you..."

That makes Cam laugh. "Oh, were they?" He tries to imagine himself being taken care of by any of them and it's very unappealing. "I just don't think you have to worry. Baby, you're worth waiting for." He kisses her again and she sighs against him. 

"I think I need to sleep now."

"Me too." He watches until she's sleeping deeply then allows his body to follow. He finds very deep sleep himself and knows he'll finally get to wake up rested.

**

The next week leads to Vala making a pretty speedy recovery. Everything feels better. Nothing aches all day long and she can keep her eyes open for more than five minutes. The women almost fight for time with her during meal prep and are all interested in her products. 

When Cam gets down for lunch on a day that keeps threatening rain she sits him down under a large tree, a little off the main area with a heaping plate of food. She settles next to him and lays her head on his shoulder, her food untouched next to her as he eats. 

"I think the women were secretly afraid I was going to die."

That startles him. "Why... Why do you say that?" 

"It's been awhile and they still act like it's so lucky I'm back. It's a bit unsettling." 

"It was scary. I was scared." He puts his arm around her and squeezes before going back to eating. He doesn't have long and it's hours before supper. 

"I'm glad I didn't die." She picks up her plate and starts eating delicately. "I'd miss you."

"You would, huh?" Nuzzling at her temple he leaves a little kiss. "Think I'd miss you more."

She just leans into him more and sighs. "Is this going to be a contest? I like contests."

"Better if I just quit now?"

"Probably for the best." They smile at each other and Cam finishes his meal. When he gets up to leave she stands and gives him a lingering kiss on the mouth. "See you at home in a bit."

The sun is playing over her hair and her mouth is just a little wet and swollen from the kiss. She's completely gorgeous. "Yeah, beautiful. See you then."

*

The fields are too hot and too dry. Cam's thirsty and hungry when he walks through the door. Vala puts a glass of juice in his hand and pushes him to the bathroom. "Bath water is ready."

"How-"

"I saw the neighbor heading home. You said he always cuts out a tad early, so I figured..."

"You're perfect." He stops his journey to the bathroom and kisses her, trying not to get the dust of the day on her.

"I know."

He's standing in the bathroom staring down the his dust and dirt coated shirt in his hands when it hits him. 

This is life. This is his life. 

He hasn't thought about home once; he'd been too busy, too swept up in the mundane routine of work and lunch and Vala and home. He hasn't thought about his parents or his apartment or the Stargate program or the rest of his team. 

He's thought about the new crops coming in, about maybe going on that hunting trip some of the guys have planned because there hasn't been a whole lot of meat to trade for and he's getting tired of meals that are mostly vegetables. He's been thinking about adding on to their little house because Vala could really use a workshop with a big desk to make her stuff at so she doesn't have to use their rickety, too-small kitchen table. 

He sits down hard on the closed toilet lid, sickness surging through him. Is this what giving up feels like? 

He loses track of how long he's there, but by the time he gets into the bath the water's gone lukewarm. He scrubs himself clean quickly and effectively, then dries off. He feels numb when he walks out of the bathroom and looks around. The house looks like a home now. It looks lived in. There's a pile of laundry that needs folding by the door, his shoes next to the front door, food piled on plates on the table. 

This is a home. This is his home now. 

He sees Vala with her back turned to him, frowning over something in her recipe that isn't going quite right. "Darling? I hope you don't mind slightly watery sauce. This was supposed to thicken, I'm quite certain of it." 

"Vala." 

Something in his voice makes her turn around, mouth twisting into a faint frown. "What is it?" 

"We're... married. Aren't we?" 

She looks back at him in surprise. She has no idea how to answer that. "For all intents and purposes-" 

"No, I mean, we're... this relationship. Us. We're acting like... we're really married." 

She tries to stave off the hurt that threatens, the pang in her chest at his hesitation. Right now he's clearly working through something. She can lick her own wounds later. 

He glances at her finally, makes real eye contact, and starts at whatever he sees on her face. "Vala, I'm not - I'm just... I've never been married before." 

"Oh." She carefully puts down the spoon she'd been stirring with and walks over to him. "I'm sorry." 

"For what?" He swallows hard. "I like it. Being married to you." 

She smiles, a little of the anxiety seeping away. "You're by far the kindest husband I've had. Though, considering some of the husbands I've had... and I actually love you, which puts you ahead of about, ah, half of them?"

Something occurs to Cam. "It's still not real though." 

She frowns. "It's real enough for me." 

"You deserve to have it for real, though. If we were back on earth - I'd have done it for real. Dating, buying a ring, popping the question at some overpriced restaurant..." 

She wants to think of how nice that would be, but it's a bittersweet thought. "Cameron, we weren't even together on earth."

"Yeah, I know. But seeing how well we work now - I think we would have been eventually." 

She blinks back the sudden threat of tears. "Really? You believe that?" 

"Vala..." This part... this part is easy. "I love you."

The end.

*

Epilogue

"Oh, god..." His cock is slick with her juices, the tip of her finger brushing his rock hard dick as he thrusts between her thighs and she circles her own clit. "It's good... oh..." 

She wants him inside her. They've talked about babies. A few times, but both of them still have that tiny bit of hope that they'll get rescued. Even after a year on the planet, no signs or the SGC or the Stargate Program, Cam still hasn't let them give up. Their sex life has been extremely good and extremely... frustrating. She wants more and she knows that he does as well.

"Inside me..." She spreads her legs, taking away his friction. His cock throbs and jerks from her words and it makes her giddy. "Now, Cam."

Her fingers spread the lips of her cunt and she grips around emptiness. God, she wants him to fill her. 

"Vala..." He pants her name. "You... You sure?" The nod makes him so hard it's on the edge of pain.

"Do it..." Vala clasps her hand around his cock and gives him a quick stroke before lightly tugging him towards her opening. "Lets have a baby."

He groans and can't do anything else but follow her lead. "I want that..." 

"Hurry, darling." She's rubbing his cock head over her clit, bucking against him, and then lines him up with her opening. Vala holds him steady until he presses forward then lets him go. "Inside..."

They both watch as he pushes forward, disappears into her body. Her legs wrap around his hips, making him hold still deep in her as her muscles clench around him.

"We're never not having this again..." He's doing everything he can to hold still, not moving is almost killing him. His hips buck forward. Suddenly he's too far apart from her and he drops closer, their chests crush together. He nuzzles her neck, kissing his way up to her jaw then to her lips. "I love you."

She moans as his lips take hers, kissing soft and slow, deep and wet. "I love you, too." She starts rubbing his back and kneading the strong muscles. "Now move."

He doesn't wait any longer, not that it would have been possible to even contemplate. His hips roll back and his cock slides slowly along her walls. She's holding her breath and he wants to watch her face, but everything is too much and his eyes slip closed. When he's halfway out Cam can't take it and he presses back in. Slowly his rhythm increases. 

"Baby..." His mumbling against her neck, teeth scraping her neck, sweat slicking their bodies where they are touching. "Oh, Vala..." The edge is approaching too quickly. It's been a long, long time since he's been inside a woman and only once - one drunk, stupid time - without a condom. 

Her nails tighten into the flesh of his back and her left leg inches further up his side. She's whispering encouragement and kissing at the skin closest to her lips. "We need to invent birth control..."

That pauses him. For a second before she's protesting the break. "W-W-What?" So close to pulling out.

"Can't be pregnant always..." She's interrupted by her own cry as the head of his cock caresses that little perfect place deep in her. "Can't give this up now..."

She laughs, but then he's on a mission and her laugh turns throaty and then into a moan. 

They're moving faster, Cam's hips rolling, Vala cradling his every thrust. He presses into her clit every time, but she knows that she'll need just a tad bit more. It's like he has a sense about it, because soon his hand is wedged between them.

"I can-"

"I want to." 

He's determined, but that position can't be comfortable. "But that looks-"

"I want to!" He's thrumming at her clit, pushing and circling and rubbing and just being amazing. "I'm going to get you off."

"Mmmhmmm" She's wiggling around more, bucking and arching to meet him. "Soon..."

"Good." He's close. Oh, so close. Every pulse and throb is moving him one more moment towards exploding inside her. And just thinking that is a bad idea because that just pressed him on. "Not gonna last much more..."

She's biting her lip and her eyes squeeze shut. Only feeling, just a second of him, only Cam. Nothing else exists. When she opens her eyes his face is there, hovering above her, he looks so aroused. But there's more than that. Much more, and she sees just how much he loves her there. In the way he's clinging to that thread of control. The ever unraveling thread. 

Just knowing that he needs her to come first does it for her. She's coming, clenching and rippling around his hard cock. It feels like nothing else and he slams into her and the intensity of her orgasm increases and she knows that he's hit his. Almost an exact exchange of energies. Almost perfect synch. Both of them are breathing hard and gasping. 

When it all ends he slumps against her, unable to roll off just yet. And she doesn't want him to. She grips him as hard as she can with her legs that feel like jelly and her arms that want to lay at rest for a day. 

"I think..." Vala's breathing hard, but still wants to speak. "I think we are exceptional in bed together.”

"I think we're exceptional together no matter what we're doing." He groans and then manages to peel himself away. He keeps an arm around her to keep her close, though. "And I think we're gonna need to change the sheets." 

She giggles into his chest. "Funny how our laundry trips keep multiplying..." 

"Uh huh." He grins, too pleasantly exhausted to even keep up the banter. "So whatever happens, happens, right?" 

She meets his smile and nods. 

* 

It's easier said than done. 

They don't try for it, exactly; they won't get their hopes up, since Vala doesn't even know if it's possible. A month goes by and nothing... two months, three. Summer passes and winter settles in. They begin to think that her suspicions about her body was right. Whatever the Ori did to her to make Adria has left her unable to have another baby. 

And that's all right. Both of them get a little wistful at times, but the like the life they've built together. They're married, no matter that the words were never spoken before them by some sort of official ordained by a religion neither of them believe in. They've made their own vows to each other. No matter what happens, no matter if they live out their lives on this planet or not, they are partners. They both know what lies beyond this little planet, and they are living proof that even without a Stargate they are not unreachable. 

It's nearing the height of winter (Christmas time, Cam still calls it, and he smiles when Vala starts making wreaths for the walls and brings in a small tree decorated with shiny baubles to put on the table) when she gets sick the first time. Cam is terrified that it's the same awful illness back, but the nausea comes and goes in spurts throughout the day and she's left feeling perfectly fine and energized as soon as it passes. 

Though she'd stopped hunting for the signs, she hadn't forgotten them. She keeps it to herself until she's two weeks late and then she goes to Cam.

He's sitting at his table in the workshop he'd built for them. The fire keeping the whole house toasty while the wind whistles past the windows. No one meets up in town for lunch during the coldest time of winter. The men go hunting and then head home for the rest of the day. There are still messengers and trade day is only held if it's temperate enough without much wind. 

When she stops in the doorway between the two rooms he smiles up at her. And she knows. She knows that this is how things are meant to be. Them plus one. She doesn't say a word just presses her palm to her belly and tips her head, smiling at him. 

"You are?" He practically throws his tools and the little wood piece he's working on as he's racing out of his chair to her side. His warm hand covers hers, foreheads press tightly together. "You're sure."

"I'm late." She loves him. He loves her. All her fears of bringing new life into the world pause as she takes in the brilliant heat of his gaze and feels the tenderness in his touch. "...Dad."

"Oh, Vala..." He kisses her, hard. The excitement and joy bubbling over and surrounding them both. "We need to get the healer out."

"Don't trust me?" She knows he does.

Cam just shakes his head. "Wanna make sure everything is perfect."

"It is."

"Not just this perfect. I mean with everything."

Vala turns into his chest and he hugs her to him. "You just want to be able to have him tell you what you can boss me to do."

"And not to do." He jumps as she pinches his butt. "Hey, now!"

"A baby is not a reason to try to boss me around." It takes a little effort but she wiggles around in his arms until she has her back to his chest. She puts both their hands on her belly and she leans back and sighs. "Are you happy?"

He squeezes and kisses the top of her head. "Very, very happy. You?"

"Mmhmm." It's not hard for her to talk to him, but sometimes she still has trouble putting her feelings into words. "You won't mind when I get fat?"

"Not gonna get fat. You're just gonna get prettier." Cam's lips traces the shell of her ear, down her neck, across her shoulder. One hand moves upwards until he's cupping her breast. "These are going to get bigger, too."

"Men." She's smiling, knowing how much he'll enjoy her being a little more well endowed. 

He teases across her nipple, feeling it harden before retreating. "You brought it up."

There's no denying that one. "Did not." Except out loud. 

Cam just lets it go. "You're going to be gorgeous all pregnant."

"Just like now."

"But fatter." That makes them both laugh and Cam turns off the light and brings her back into the main house. "We should celebrate."

"With orgasms?"

"I don't know a better way." He takes her to bed and makes sure she understands how happy he is.

*

She's five months along, the perfection of health now that she's gotten past the scary morning sickness, when they both wake up and feel it. 

It's something different. Something is just... just off.

Cam pulls her close, just like every other morning, rubs her belly -now a pronounced bump - and kisses her. "Morning."

"Something's-"

"Is it the baby?" He pulls her tighter to him and starts doing a check with his hands, wanting to make sure that she's okay.

"No, not that. It just feels-"

"Strange."

She nods and curls in closer. "I feel... I don't know." That's when it happens. The bright beam of light. The sensation of being pulled through a small enclosure that you know you fit fine, it just makes you uncomfortable. Both of them blink the shock from their pupils and look around. 

"Damn, I never thought we'd see you again." Samantha Carter is standing there. They are on the bridge of the ship they haven't seen in almost two years. "Looks like the feeling was mutual." As she eyes Vala's belly, grinning. 

She radios in the success and off they go, back home, to Earth.

The End


End file.
